Downward Spiral
by FortunesRevolver
Summary: When Naoto receives a call in the middle of the night from a hospital in Souji's hometown, she immediately plans for her departure. When she arrives, the news that greets her is earth-shattering. Full summary inside. SoujixNaoto
1. Prologue

The idea for this story hit me one day while I was sitting in history class. I'm not entirely sure what inspired this, but none-the-less, when I told two of my friends about the story, they seemed eager to read the results of what I'd been thinking. This is the prologue of the story and should I receive at least five reviews, I will he happy to post the first chapter, which I've already started working on.

Obviously, the story is SoujixNaoto, which has become my OTP. I realize my love for StanxLion was something I was well known amongst my readers for here, but it would appear that these two can't seem to get out of my mind and I simply adore the couple. Thus, they've made it to the position of my OTP. Of course, StahnxLion is a very close second... but I ramble and go off topic.

Obviously, I don't own Persona 4. If I had, I would have added "romantic fluff" between Souji and Naoto to my hearts desire in the game, rather then spending my time writing the fanfiction for it.

I thank you for stopping by.

_**Full summary:**_ _When Naoto receives a call in the middle of the night from a hospital in Souji's hometown, she immediately plans for her departure. When she arrives, the news that greets her is earth-shattering. Taking the blame for Souji's condition upon herself, she refuses to leave his side until he is able to stand on his own again completely... But how can see save the one she loves...when she herself is quickly fading away? **SoujixNaoto**  
_

* * *

**Prologue **

"Who could be calling this late?" Naoto muttered as she quickly scrambled across her room, retrieving her phone from under a mass of homework papers that she'd yet to organize and put away. A quick glance at the clock told her it was almost ten in the evening. _Not at all a normal hour for someone to make a call. If this is Yosuke-senpai with pointless questions again…_ The sleuth's mood dropped several points as the memory of just over a week ago when Yosuke had called at three in the morning claiming that he was 'bored' and had started bombarding her with random questions. Needless to say the next day she made it a point to explain to him by 'creative' means that she would not tolerate such an act again…but she had a gut feeling that threatening to show him just how good she was with a revolver would only scare him for so long until he figured out she never intended to shoot him.

"Naoto Shirogane, can I help you?"

_"Ms. Shirogane? Are you familiar with a young name by the name of 'Souji Seta'?"_

"Senpai? I—why? Who is this?"

_"…I realize this may be hard to take in so late at night. My name is Dr. Fukazawa, I work in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital in Tokyo…I'm afraid I have solemn news. There's been an accident. Mr. Seta was brought in early this afternoon and he's been unconscious since his arrival."_

"W-what?" Naoto felt something catch in her throat as she struggled to hold the cell-phone to her ear, feeling her stomach plummet to the floor. "What… what happened? An accident? I don't—what?"

_"There was an accident this afternoon. A traffic accident."_

"He—what hospital did you say he was in?"

_"Tokyo University Hospital… Ms. Shirogane, I realize this news is hard to take in but—" _

The line was dead before the doctor could finish.

"Yakushiji-san!!!"

The door to Naoto's room was thrown open as the estate's secretary rushed into the room, his hair disheveled from sleep and eyes wide with panic, darting around the room, sunglasses still on the dresser in his bedroom completely forgotten.

"N-Naoto-sama? What—are you alright?! What's happening? Are you hurt-? Did someone--why are you packing?"

"I need you to get me the next train to Tokyo. Get the car ready, I'll pick it up at the station, order online."

"Naoto-sama, with all due respect it's ten in the evening. I'm sure whatever it is can wait until—"

"It _can't_ wait!" Naoto cried, eyes red and swollen as she shoved several shirts into a duffle-bag. "I—Senpai was—Don't argue with me! Just order the ticket!!!"

"But Naoto-sama-!"

"But nothing!" Her voice was now growing in pitch as well as volume. "Senpai—Souji was in an accident! He's in intensive care in Tokyo! I will _not_ 'wait'! He could be dying! He could…could…" Naoto's fingers tightened around the pair of dark pants in her hands, trembling as she fought to keep the small amount of self-control she still had. "If… p-please… I have to…" she choked, "Yakushiji-san, please… I…"

"Naoto-sama…" Yakushiji sighed, running a hand through his hair slowly. _Whatever happened, it's really upsetting her…_ "Naoto-sama, you need to calm down, I—"

"I can't calm-!"

"_Naoto-sama!"_ the secretary cried in exasperation, grabbing the sleuth's shoulders firmly. "Calm _down _and listen to me! I'll order the ticket, but you _must _calm down. I can't send you on a train in such a state. You must promise me you'll control yourself! You're only making the situation more stressful on yourself."

"Yakushiji-san…"

"Now… continue packing and I will take care of the car and train ticket. But you must promise that won't have a breakdown on me. Your grandfather would never forgive me if you got hurt. Now, hurry up and finish packing. If I recall the trains leave on the hour and if you want to make the one at eleven, we need to leave soon."

"Yakushiji-san… thank you."

* * *

"Excuse me, my name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm here to see Souji Seta. I was informed that he was brought in this after—"

"Ah… Shirogane-san," the nurse sitting behind the welcome desk in the main lobby offered the sleuth a kind smile. "We've been expecting you. Dr. Fukazawa said that you'd be arriving soon." Naoto glanced at the clock as the nurse turned her attention back to the computer screen in front of her.

_3:15am… I didn't get here fast enough. Yakushiji-san was kind enough to get me a ticket for a train with fewer stops but…_

"If you'll just follow Ms. Ikeda, she'll take you up to Mr. Seta's room."

Naoto jumped as she was pulled from her thoughts, nodding absently as she turned to look at a second nurse, slightly taller than herself, with a clipboard clutched tightly in her arms.

"Shirogane-san," she greeted with a polite nod, "We'll be going to the third floor of intensive care, if you'll follow me…"

The walk to the room was completely silent, breathing itself seemed to stop as they reached the third floor and started down the hall slowly. Naoto's knuckles were slowly turning white as her grip on the strap of her dufflebag tightened with each step she took and by the time they reached a door near the end of the hall with a temporary sign reading 'Seta Souji' on it, her fingers had gone completely numb.

"Will you be alright on your own? His parents are in the patient's rest room. I can wake them to alert of your arrival or have a third bed set up for—"

"That won't be necessary," Naoto cut the nurse off, "I'll be fine on my own."

"If you insist, Shirogane-san. I'll be—oh, just a moment, may I ask you a question regarding Seta-san?"

"…What is it?"

"If you'll come inside with me… there is something I need to show you first."

Ikeda opened the door and stepped inside the room, quickly followed by Naoto, who dropped her bag into an empty chair in the corner of the room, confident that she would end up dropping it due the excessive trembling of her hands. She hadn't even looked at the bed yet, and as it was, she was too scared, terrified of the sight that would greet her.

"Do you recognize this? Seta-san dropped it in the middle of the street and it was as he tried to retrieve it that the accident occurred. Have you ever seen this? His parents didn't know where he'd gotten it, but he had quite the grip on it despite his unconscious state. Whatever it is, it must be important to him."

The nurse extended an open fist and Naoto felt her throat close and stomach plummet for the second time since she'd received that call. A silver watch sparkled dully in the nurse's hand, letting out several soft beeps. Two pairs of eyes fell on the watch as words appeared on the screen, shinning bright neon green against the watch's dark face.

_1 Meter _

"T-that… Senpai… was hit because of _this?_" Naoto muttered softly, voice trembling.

"According to witnesses, yes. Do you know what it is?"

"It's a watch," Naoto started, raising her hand when the nurse took an offended look. "I…made it for him." She held her own wrist up, showing the nurse the face of her own watch which read, _ 1 Meter.._ "It was a Christmas gift, so that we'd always be able to find the other. I…"

Ikeda fell silent, biting her lip as she watched Naoto's face contort in pain as she struggled to keep a strong face.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Hon. It's a finely made watch. It must have slipped off his wrist. Why don't you stay with him for a bit? I'll have someone bring up some tea, I'm sure he'd love to know you're here."

"He's unconscious," Naoto muttered, "He wouldn't know the difference between myself and his own mother."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ikeda smiled softly, "You'd be surprised the power a human voice can have on someone in his state. It's something I don't think will ever be explain, but I'm sure it's _your_ voice he's waiting for. If he was willing to risk Tokyo traffic to keep it safe, you must be much more important than you think." Naoto remained silent, shaking her head slowly.

"…I'll leave you two alone. Please don't hesitate to pull the nurse call cord if you need anything."

Waiting until the door opened and shut again, the sleuth slowly made her way over to the bed, keeping her eyes hidden behind the rim of her hat. She gulped, raising a trembling hand to take hold of the barrier blocking her view of the figure on the bed. _Please… please don't let it be serious. Let him be okay… please._ However, the bitter reality of where she was laughed in the back of her mind cruelly. Someone who was placed in the intensive care unit of a hospital was usual far from 'alright'.

"Oh God…Senpai," Naoto choked as she tore the hat away from her head, losing her grip on it as her eyes fell on Souji and a hand flew to her mouth, stifling a sob.

Several IV cords started at his left arm and rose up and around the headboard, connected to several colorful bags of fluid, one of them dark crimson in color. His left arm, bent over his stomach, was covered from the wrist to his elbow in a brace, leaving his fingers and thumb sticking out. One of his legs appeared bigger than the other under the blankets telling Naoto that once of his legs was in a cast. Various bandages lined what could be seen of his chest and several more covered his cheeks, all supporting dark shadows on them that were obviously blood. Finally, Naoto's eyes fell on the last covering that she could notice. The white bandages wrapped tightly around Souji's head covering his eyes and the bridge of his nose.

Another choked sob filled the room as Naoto reached forward, hesitantly, as if touching a glass doll that would shatter if even the faintest amount of excess pressure was made. Her fingers traced over the bandages over his face, trailing down his cheek to the shoulder, across his arms and finally stopping at his hand, taking it in her down gently, running her thumb slowly over the back.

"S-Senpai…y-you idiot!" Her voice trembled with anger and sorrow as her face contorted into a pained expression, causing her vision to blur as tears filled and fell from her eyes without stop. "What were you thinking!? What did I tell you about risking your life for me? It was just a watch! I could have made you a new one; I could have _fixed_ that one! But you had to act like an idiot and rush back to grab it! It was just a watch, a _toy!_ What if you'd gotten killed, Senpai? Did you ever stop to think about what would have, could have… what did happen because you ran out into the middle of traffic? Damn it! And not just normal traffic! You _live_ in Tokyo! Shouldn't you know how dangerous it is? Did you think I was going to be made at you for breaking it!? Take this into account, Senpai… I can't be mad at someone who's _dead!!!"_

And it was then the dam broke.

Collapsing into a chair next to the bed, Naoto buried her face in her arms, still clutching Souji's hand in her own as melancholy sobs filled the room. Her shoulders shook violently, causing her whole body to shake with the heavy cries that deluged from her small form. Everything had come crashing down. The loneliness of the years that passed without seeing him, the sorrow of days gone by when they hadn't been able to talk, the disappointment of checking a phone and inbox with no messages and now, the fear that she might lose all of that completely, the thought of never seeing the figure in front of her again, with only a tombstone and memories of proof that he ever existed.

"S-Senpai… wake up… Come back. There are people waiting for you, people who _love _you. They're scared, all of them. They—_I_ can't lose you." _This is my fault… this is all my fault._ "Senpai…" _If I hadn't given him that watch, this never would have happened. It wasn't supposed to hurt him…it was supposed to remind him he had someone waiting for him. _"Please…" _Someone who loved him more than anyone else in this world._ "…Come back to me, _please."_ _You gave my life meaning. You made me realize my gender didn't matter… you gave me a reason to stay. So please… wake up. I can't lose you._

"Senpai—Souji-kun, I love you… wake up."

As the minutes slipped by, Naoto's heavy sobs turned into soft hiccups as the flow of tears slowed and finally stopped, leaving her eyes swollen and red, tears staining her rosy cheeks. With each passing second, the young detective slowly tipped forward as exhaust finally caught up and took over, forcing the sleuth's eyes shut. Sleep took over as she slumped against the bed, using her arms as a pillow, her hand still wrapped loosely around his own.


	2. Chapter 1

I owe everyone an apology for taking so long in updating this. I thank everyone who reviewed to the story, each one gave me the motivation to give something great back in return. I'm afraid that this is just a "filler chapter" and things won't really pick up until chapter two, but chapter two is already three or four pages in the words and I'm hoping you'll all enjoy that, as I hope to have it posted by this weekend.

**NOTICE!!!**

I will make this clear before the chapter starts... I am _not_ a NaotoRise fan. I don't like the pairing, I wouldn't consider the pairing and I won't write the pairing. There is hardly any logical at all that can be applied to the pairing and it makes almost no sense to me. However, to each their own. Rise's appearance in this chapter was because her's was the most logical of the group, and because I believe her and Naoto to be good friends (nothing beyond that). So please, no requests for NaotoRise fluff because I'm _not_ going to write it. If that is what you're looking for, I believe there is a writer by the name of Roxius on this site who would be more then willing to provid you with your fluff.

I'm sure you're all aware I don't own Persona 4, if I had... SaoNao would have most likely been cannon (like Minato and Aigis).

**

* * *

Chapter One**

The steady beep of a heat-monitor echoed loudly in the silent hospital room, the loud rhythmic noise falling deaf on the sleeping ears of its two occupants. Neither of them made any major movement, the only proof that they were still alive was the slow rise and fall of their chests with each breath taken in. The smaller of the two figures, female, whose face was hidden behind the rim of a dark hat, tightly clasped the pale hand of the larger person in the bed, clinging to it as if it were a life support. Streaks lined the female's cheeks, evident that fresh tears had been shed recently in sleep. Exhaust had taken the girl over hours ago and continued to claim her, leaving her completely oblivious to the world, including that of the jiggling door handle.

"Shirogane-san came early the other morning.. She was in quite a panic and I don't recall seeing her leave last night. She didn't want to come to the room with you two, but I imagine she wanted to see Seta-kun as soon as possible. I—oh!" The nurse who had entered the room with Souji's parents in tow stopped, blinking several times at the scene before her. "My… this _is_ something," she chuckled, "How adorable."

"Hm? Ikeda stepped into the room behind the other nurse, peering over her shoulder. "Did she stay with him all night again?"

"It would seem so… The poor dear, she was so exhausted when she arrived the other day. I'm not surprised that she's already reached her limit."

"She cried herself to sleep…" Ikeda muttered, as she draped a spare blanket over Naoto's shoulders, giving the sleuth a sympathetic look. "Completely exhausted herself…and yet she still holding tightly to him."

"I wanted to move her to the patient waiting room but… I haven't the heart to move her. I was able to get her to leave long enough last night to take a shower and eat something small but…she returned her the moment she finished."

"Well," Ikeda muttered, walking around the bed slowly. "We'll just have to be extra quiet as we check on Seta-san, won't we? He's still stable, so we can save the larger tests for when she's awake."

"Are you sure? I don't think it's wise to—"

"It will be fine, Takayashi-san. Unless _you_ want to wake her?"

"I—well..." Takayashi sighed, shaking her head slowly. "No… It would be cruel to move her."

"Then it's settled. Take care of his monitor while I check his fluids and give him another dose of medication through his IV. The doctor in charge of him is busy with another patient in surgery right now. The least we can do is wait until that is done. If she's still not awake, we'll have no choice but to move her."

"Ngh…Sen…pai…"

The two nurses froze, staring wide-eyed at the young detective who'd begun to shift slightly in her sleep. Several tears escaped her closed eyes as her mouth worked silently, face contorting in pain. "Senpai… don't leave me."

"This is the part of our job I hate the most," Ikeda muttered as she slide a needle into one of Souji's IV's, "Having to watch the pain of loved ones as they stand beside a patient in bed…"

"Quiet!" Takayashi scolded as she walked around the bed, crossing her arms reproachfully. "You're making it sound as if none of them recover at all. Now hurry up, we still need to finish our rounds for the morning."

"Right, right… I'll meet you in the next room." Ikeda muttered, waving Takayashi out of the room as she turned back to Souji's bed, staring down at him. "Seta-san," she muttered, raising a hand to brush it along Souji's cheek softly, sighing. "Seta-san… please wake up soon. This girl—Shirogane--, she's been at your side for almost a week. Your parents… they aren't able to be here with you, but they're awaiting your return as well. But please… for the sake of this girl and all the friends who've been calling and demanding information about you… please wake up." Pulling her hand away slowly, Ikeda lingered by the bed for a moment, her eyes sweeping over Naoto as she reached out, carefully pulling the crooked hat from the detectives had, placing it on the bedside table. "…I hope the best for you two. I truly do."

* * *

The soft afternoon breeze blew in through the open window, ruffling the pale curtains of the hospital room, causing them to twist, turn and fall down again, almost as if dancing with the flickering shadow caused by the sunlight that filtered through. Navy-blue hair danced across tear-streaked cheeks as the wind made its way across the blindingly white room, lifting and dropping the strands, causing several to tickle the tip of her nose. A small groan escaped Naoto's lips as her face twitched, nose scrunching up as he body pushed back the urge to sneeze. Her free hand pushed off the mattress, straightening herself in her chair, wincing as her spine popped several times.

"What…time is it?" She muttered, rubbing her eyes as she glanced at her wrist. Something caught in her throat as she gazed at the silver watch and she looked away quickly, scanning the walls for a hanging clock. Since she'd arrived, looking at the watch on her wrist had caused a sickening feeling lash out in her stomach, leaving her with the urge to puke. Knowing that it had been the watches match that was the reason as to why she was sitting her and why Souji was unconscious was enough to make her regret ever having made them in the first place. Still, she couldn't find the strength or will to remove the device from her wrist, clinging to it as the only pillar of comfort that Souji hadn't forgotten about her in the past for years. Yet a part of her dearly wished he had…at least he wouldn't be like _this._

Standing up, Naoto gathered up the blanket that had fallen from her shoulders to the floor, carefully folding it, before dropping it over the back of her chair, settling herself back down after taking a quick walk around the room to allow her body a moment to stretch. Brushing her hair from her face, Naoto blinked, frowning as she felt the top of her head.

"When did…?" She frowned, glancing around the room as she looked for her hat. "Perhaps one of the nurses removed it?" she muttered softly to herself, spotting it on the bedside table. Shaking her head, she dubbed the idea 'unimportant' and placed the hat back on her head.

Reaching out, she gently took Souji's hand in her own again, running her thumb over the back with a feather-light touch, her eyes carefully focused on the silverette's face.

"It's… been a tiring week, Senpai," Naoto began softly. "I feel the nurses are beginning to worry about my presence. I've hardly left this room at all and I imagine they are worried I may end up acting compulsively and end up hurting myself by doing something rash." She trailed off, nibbling at her bottom lip.

"Yosuke-senpai called last night… he says he's going to try and come visit you next week. He says he hopes you're feeling better and everyone is cheering for you." A soft tremor could be heard in the young detective's tone as she continued. "Rise-san stopped by yesterday to. S-she said she was on her way to an audition, but she came here before her appointment. She… she brought you some flowers. The colorful ones on the right side of your bed… They smell wonderful and they add a much friendly touch to your room.

"It's all white… but the flowers give the room more hope. I-I've been changing the water for you… The gift-shop was kind enough to give me a few packets of medicine for the flowers as well to keep them alive longer. S-so you'll be able to see them in full bloom when you wake up, right Senpai? T-they look… really nice, so you have to wake up soon."

Naoto's voice withered again, then died, a strangled choking noise bursting out of her throat as her free hand slapped over her mouth, trying to stifle the sound of her uneven breathing. Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She'd spent almost the entire week crying and, if it were logically possible, she would have shriveled up days ago.

The door to the hospital room opened, causing Naoto to jump to her feet and turn, her hand flying down to her hip where she kept her revolver hidden on her person at all times.

"Shirogane-san, you're awake!"

"I-Ikeda-san…" Naoto muttered, letting her hand fall limply at her side. "I—good afternoon. Is… it some for his afternoon tests?"

"I'm afraid so dear," Ikeda nodded, stepping further into the room. "His doctor will be here shortly, he's just finishing up with the patient next door. Why don't you go downstairs and get yourself something from the cafeteria? You've been in this room all day and a little change of scenery will do you some good."

Naoto hesitated, her eyes flickering over to Souji as she began to chew her lower lip, now almost completely raw from the nervous habit she'd picked up that week.

"Ikeda-san, I'd really rather—"

"Shirogane-san, I know you're worried, but I assure you, he will be just fine in our care. You've been neglecting yourself since you arrived and as a nurse it's my duty to see to it that you do not land yourself in your own bed. I'm sure if Seta-san were awake, he wouldn't want you casting aside your own personal health and well-being for him."

"T-that…I'm not-!"

"When was the last time you ate a full meal, Shirogane-san?"

"I…" Naoto trailed off, lowering her gaze to the ground, unable to answer the nurse's question. She couldn't recall having had a full meal since she'd arrived in Tokyo a week ago. Almost every waking moment of her days had been spent at Souji's side, speaking softly to him and telling him of everything that had happened that day in the most finite details she could, from the moment she woke up, to the moment she fell asleep again and everything in between, leaving nothing—not even the flight of an insect across the room—out.

"I…apologize," the sleuth finally spoke again, sighing softly. "I've been acting childish."

"You don't need to apologize to me, dear. Just take care of yourself. I'd have to have Seta-kun wake up and have the first thing he's told be that of you in a ward downstairs."

"Yes… you're right." Naoto turned back to the bed, taking Souji's hand in her own again, blinking rapidly as her vision began to blur. "I'll see you again, Senpai. I'll be gone for just an hour—two at the most. Take care until I return…" Leaning forward, she brushed her lips over Souji's forehead, brushing several strands of hair out of his face as she pulled away. "Take care…"

"Ah, before I forget, Shirogane-san, you've a visitor."

"I beg your pardon?" Naoto turned, blinking. "I—a visitor?!" Silver-blue eyes widened in shock as she took a step back, looking around the room frantically. _My face is a mess, I'm in the same clothes I wore yesterday and-!_ "W-where?"

Ikeda chuckled softly, placing a comforting hand on Naoto's shoulder.

"Don't worry, dear. I told her to wait for you downstairs in the cafeteria. Clean yourself up and go downstairs. I'll come collect you when we're finished with all the tests."

"Y...es," Naoto spoke slowly, nodding. "I thank you."

Giving the nurse a small nod of gratitude, the detective rushed over to her dufflebag in the corner, pulling out a pair of black slacks, a turquoise dress shirt and a yellow tie. Hugging the clothing close to her chest, she hurried into the bathroom shutting the door behind her as she quickly undressed and stepped into the shower, only taking ten minutes to clean up before stepping out again and dressing, vigorously running a towel over her head to dry her hair faster.

Exiting the bathroom, she ran a hand through her hair gently, pulling out any visible knots before putting her hat on once more and producing a wallet from her bag. Slipping it into her pocket, she grabbed her phone from the table next to Souji's bed, lingering next to him for a moment before forcing herself to turn away and hurry towards the door.

"Have a good meal, Shirogane-san." The nurse called kindly, waving to Naoto as she left the room. "...Poor dear. If only… there was more we could do to help." Ikeda sighed, staring down at the figure in the bed in front of her, shaking her head slowly. "Honestly, do you enjoy breaking a young girl's heart like this? Hurry back, she's waiting for you."

* * *

"Naoto-kun!" Naoto jumping, not having expected someone to call out to her the moment she entered the cafeteria. Someone crashed into her at full speed and she was pulled into a pair of slim but strong arms. The sleuth blinked rapidly, her mind working furiously to catch up with what had just happed. Dark red hair brushed over her nose, sending a shiver down her spine as she held back the strong urge to sneeze.

"Rise-san…" The detective greeted in a soft tone, pulling herself back slowly, fixing Rise with a blank look. "I would be grateful to receive warning before you grab me like that."

"Ah… I'm sorry," Rise muttered in a hurt tone. "I was just happy. I thought I was going to have to go upstairs and force you out of Senpai's room again."

"No one has to force me to do anything. I can leave the room whenever I want," Naoto muttered in a harsh tone. "You came here to meet me for lunch, did you not? Then let's get in line."

Rise sighed softly, watching as Naoto walked away, keeping her gaze locked with the floor, not looking any of the people around her.

"I'm sure you _can_ leave," the idol muttered, "But the problem is… you never _want_ to. You're locking yourself away, Naoto-kun." Rise sighed softly as she followed Naoto into the line, watching the sleuth sadly as the navy-haired girl stared blankly at the ground. _Senpai,_ she thought sadly. _Please, wake up. Not for your parents sake, or even your own… but for Naoto-kun's. She's… dying without you. You were the one who always gave her the strength to keep going. So please… wake up. Wake up and give her some of her strength back… before it's too late._

"Rise-san, the line is moving." Naoto muttered softly as she stepped up to the cafeteria counter, picking up a tray lightly. "Rise-san, if I may… Why are you here? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Oh… W-well, the agency gave me today off so—" Rise winced, looking away guiltily. This was a lie and she knew it. The idol had snuck away early that morning, leaving a note explaining everything to her manager who would be sure to cover for her… or at least stall for a few hours, long enough for her to ensure Naoto ate at least half a meal as opposed to the small snacks she'd been allowing herself to eat when forced to obtain _something_ edible.

"You're a terrible liar, Rise-san. You should go back as soon as you're done eating… It would only cause the hospital trouble if your agency sent people looking all over it for you. You need to be more responsible. You're… not helping."

Rise winced at the brutal honestly and blank tone of Naoto's words. She sighed again, forcing a small smile as she nodded, saying, "Y-yeah. You're right. I'm sorry, Naoto-kun. I was just worried about you and Senpai. I guess I should have asked before I ran off, huh? I'll go back as soon as I finish lunch, okay?"

"It would be wise…" Naoto muttered, placing a bowl of salad on her plate along with a bottle of water. "Hurry up and pick, we can just pay together. It will save you time."

"O-oh, right…" Rise sighed softly, quickly scanning the selections, settling for a bowl of ramen, a container of mixed fruit and a small fruit-juice. "I'll cover this, Naoto-kun. It's the reason I came in the first place, I wanted to treat you to a meal. It's been so long since we last had lunch together…" _Even if this is a hospital, at least this way she can't throw everything away like she has been._

"I can take care of myself, Rise-san. I—hey!"

"Sorry, Naoto-kun. You didn't pull your wallet out fast enough."

"Ris—"

"Ah… Oh man." Rise sighed, glancing at her the thin leather-strap watch on her wrist. "It's late… I have to get back to the set before they send the police out looking for me."

"Then why did you-!?"

"Promise me you'll eat everything, okay?"

"I—"

"Rise Kujikawa!"

"Oh man… how did he-?" Rise turned away from Naoto, wincing as she watched a man in a dark suit rush into the hospital cafeteria, making several people stand up and begin looking around, muttering to one another about the sudden appearance of an idol in their hospital.

"I'd…better get going before I end up causing a scene." Rise muttered. "I'm sorry I can't stay with you to eat. I was really hoping we'd be able to share a nice lunch together. I'll see you later, okay Naoto-kun?"

Naoto didn't respond, choosing to nod silently as she watched Rise dart over to the suited man, grabbing his arm as she dragged him from the cafeteria, ducking her head as she tried to hide her face from the excited crowd that was beginning to gather.

Sighing softly, the sleuth glanced down at the small tray of food in her hands, feeling her appetite quickly slipping away. _I'm not allowed to return to the room at this time… there isn't much point in heading up there only to be told to wait in the hallway. Rise-chan used money out of her pocket to pay for this… I owe her the curtsey of eating half of it at the very least._ Naoto nodded slowly to herself, as if in answer to her own thoughts as she slowly made her way towards an empty table in the back of the cafeteria, silently setting the tray down as she slipping into a chair with a fading seat-cushion.

It was the longest and smallest meal she'd had all week. It took her nearly two hours to eat less than half of the small salad, and only a few sips of water had been taken as lettuce stuck itself to her teeth. She stood up, grabbing her tray, staring dully at the food as she dumped it into the nearest trashcan, making the off-duty doctor wince as he looked at her.

Her naturally strong and slim form had become dangerously frail over the past weeks, the signs indicating lack of sunlight, nutrition and hydration becoming more and more obvious with each passing day. Her cheeks were hallowed and it was easy to make out the bones of her arms and wrists when her jacket's sleeves shifted upward. The creamy pale skin that had been the envy of majority of the female population in Inaba was ghostly white, giving her the sickly appearance of someone near death, the dark material of her clothing only worsening the effect. Silver-blue orbs which had once sparkled with strength, pride and intelligence were now empty and void of all emotion. They no longer sparkled with curiosity at the mention of a mystery or filled with warmth at the sight of her friends. There was nothing left in them, but the dull empty pained look of someone who'd lost everything.

_They must be finished by now,_ Naoto thought as she slowly made her way out of the cafeteria, her shoulder brushing against the wall as she walked. _I was down there for a few hours… It would make sense that their work has been completed for the time being._ _If I'm too early, I'll simply wait in the—_

"Shirogane-san?"

Naoto blinked, glancing upward as she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Wh—Oh, Ikeda-sama. Good afternoon."

"It's closer to evening, Shirogane-san. Will you be coming out again tonight, or will you spend the rest of the evening with Seta-san?"

"…I'm done for the day. I'll be staying in the room the remainder of the evening."

Ikeda sighed softly, nibbling the bottom of her lip as she watched the young detective slip into the room, a sad look in her vermillion eyes. She sighed softly, glancing down at the clipboard in her arms, glancing over the contents slowly.

"As his condition gets better hers gets worse. What will happen when he wakes up and she finds out that—no. We can't assume the worst yet. The first problem is imminent; memory loss is only a possibility." _A very likely one, but we'll have to hope for the best._

_**

* * *

**_

"Souji-kun, I'm back…" Naoto muttered softly as she walked over to the bed, taking her place in the chair sitting next to it once more. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long… Rise-san came again today. She's worried that I'm not eating enough. Everyone—even the nurses—seem to think I'm going to collapse at any moment." _It's beginning to work my last nerve. I have every right to be here… to be __**worried**__. You're my…_

"Are you having pleasant dreams? I… don't often fall into a dream-world myself, but I imagine with a mind like yours, you must have some amazing ones. Am… am I in them, Senpai? I can't be where you are right now… so that dream-world is all I have to let you know I'm here with you." She reached out, taking his hand loosely in her own, smiling sadly. "Can you feel my hand, Senpai? You must be so tired of me holding yours by now… I'm acting like such a child. I'm letting myself doubt everything, and that isn't helping you at all, is it? I… I know you'll come back. To everyone… to me. But…" _Can't you come home a little faster? I miss you… everyone does. And… I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold out like this._

The sleuth bit back the tears that burned her eyes and threatened to spill over once more as she leaned forward, resting her head against Souji's leg, slowly running her fingers over the back of his hand before clasping it tightly in her own. Naoto sighed softly as exhaustion slowly began to over-take her tired form, lulling her into the dark abyss of unconsciousness despite her struggles to stay awake.

"Souji…" She muttered softly as her body went limp, eyes fluttering shut. "Come home…" Her words came out in a yawn as sleep took over and left the detective oblivious to the world around her… even the soft twitch and tightened grip of a frail hand in her own.


	3. Chapter 2

I apologize for the late updating of this story. I tried to make the chapter long then normal due to the delay. Chapter three might take a while to update as well... It's not that I've hit a wall or anything of the sort, but I'm taking on another (one-shot) project between this chapter and the next with the assistance of _Fiyerna_. So hopefully when I update that, you'll all forgive me for writing slowly.

Enjoy the next chapter.

**

* * *

Chapter Two**

"Souji-chan! Hurry up, we're going to be late to dinner." Souji glanced up, nodding briefly as his mother gestured at him from the other side of the street to hurry up. He increased his pace, breaking into a soft sprint as the neon crossing sign began to flash, indicating pedestrians to cross immediately or wait until the next light change. A soft clink of metal on concrete caused his footsteps to cease, looking around for the source of the noise.

The wind picked up and a cold breeze blew over Souji's bare wrist, causing the teen to frown. _Huh? Why…?_ He glanced down, eyes widening slightly as he stared at the patch of skin that appeared paler then the rest, taking the shape of a small wrist watch. He glanced up and called out, asking for his parents to wait as he turned around, spotting the sparkling silver digital watch in the middle of the crosswalk. He heard his mother scoff, but his father's voice called out, telling him to hurry.

His parents had never understood why he'd kept the watch for so long, refusing any offers when a better one was presented to him. The screen had several scratches on it and the glowing digital numbers had once faded completely before he allowed himself to take of the watch and change the batteries. His mother had tried to sway him from the old accessory, claiming that he'd be able to get one 'more useful', but time and time again he pushed the offers away. The watch was _precious_ to him, something that could never be replaced. A gesture someone special, a simplistic yet vastly unique Christmas gift from the girl who meant the world to him, who he vowed to love for the rest of his human life and longer. It was the only connection he had left with her since he watched her standing at the corner of the train station as he was quickly pulled further and further away from the only home he'd ever truly had.

He bent down, scooping the watch into his hand, cradling it carefully as he examined it for further damage.

"Souji-chan!" He looked up, stopping his mother with her arms crossed, gesturing again for m to move, an annoyed look crossing her face as she began to tap her foot against the pavement, earning an uneasy look from her husband.

Souji winced and began to straighten himself, freezing as he heard the loud squeal of tires against pavement. His vision darted to the side, unable to move as the startling noise caused his muscles to lock. A car had run the red light, swerving erratically as it barreled toward him, the driver inside wildly spinning the steering wheel as he made gestures through the glass for Souji to move… but they both knew it was too late. He had no more than a split second, not nearly enough time for him to move to safety. His mother screamed in the background as he tightened his grip on the watch, a single, broken word escaping his lips, unable to finish the words he wanted to say in time.

"Naoto—"

Lights flashed before him as his vision was filled by a fiberglass bumper. White hot blinding agony filled him as a sense of weightlessness took over, eliminating the sounds and noises of the world around him, leaving him only with pain. The sensation only lasted a few seconds as he was thrown back into the world, slamming against the ground once, twice and finally a third time, skidding across the rough pavement, coming to a halt as he crashed into the still wheels of a car that had only just managed to stop in time.

He couldn't feel half the limbs in his body, the others screaming and throbbing with intense pain. His vision blurred as he felt something wet and sticky slide down his face and into his eyes. The sounds of horrified screams and cries came to him slowly, as if through water as his brain barely registered the sounds around him. He tried to speak—to call for help—just to scream in pain, but something blocked his thought as he felt his body shudder violently and a substance that felt the same as that of the one on his face came out in a violent spurt from his mouth, his throat closing as he tried to take the brief moment of gasping air to make noise again. He couldn't breathe. He coughed again, feeling his body shake again, sending another wave of pain throughout his body, completely taking over.

His head throbbed painfully as what remained of his vision faded, a veil of darkness covering his eyes as he felt his senses slowly dulling. _Maybe… I could just rest for a few minutes. Just a small nap… everything would feel better if I just…_ Darkness swallowed him as the sounds of the world around him faded away. The throbbing pain that coursed through his body slowly began to fade, each throb less agonizing then the first until nothing but a dull numbest was left and finally…nothing.

The next time Souji came to, he knew something was different. His entire body felt completely weightless… painless. He turned his head to the left and right, frowning. Complete nothingness. No matter how he turned his head, nothing but pitch black greeted him. His hands slowly felt around—at least what he believed to be—the ground. It was solid, yet completely intangible. He pushed off the ground, finding it much easier to stand up than he thought, as if an outwardly force had lifted him up without touching him at all.

"Where…?" The question died as Souji's own voice barely registered itself in his mind, instantly swallowed up by the surrounding area. His head moved to and fro helplessly as he tried to figure out where he was. He looked down, but he couldn't see so much as his own chest. His hand raised itself in front of his eyes, and he _knew_ it was there, he could _sense_ it, but his vision remained completely blank. His hand fell back to his side as he tried to remember what had happened, how he'd gotten there.

"...Mom? Dad?" He called out as loud as he could, but his voice was swallowed once more, only sounding as a dull echo in his ears, like a whisper against cotton blocked canals. "Naoto…? Anybody? Hello? Is anyone—"

His words were cut off once more as a flash of pain shot through his body, causing him to stumble forward, landing on one knee as he grasped his head in pain, gritting his teeth. The pain faded and was replaced by confusion as he slowly moved his hand across his face, another short gasp escaping his lips as he felt soft fabric wrapped tightly around his head and face. The fabric wrapped around his head, covering his forehead completely, moving down over his eyes and to the bridge of his nose.

"So that's why I can't…" He tugged at the bandages, but they wouldn't move. No matter how he tried to claw at them, they didn't so much as loosen their tight binding around his head. His arms fell to his sides with a sigh as he tried to take another step forward, shocked at the sudden change of his body. His left leg suddenly felt stiff, unable to bend as it normally should as a heavy weight suddenly added itself from the elbow down on his left arm, causing him to tip sideways slightly at the weight imbalance.

"What…?"

And then he remembered. The car, the insufferable pain that faded just as quickly as it had come.

"Naoto?" He called out, his voice carrying a thin veil of fear. A shiver ran down his spine as his body began to tremble in fear, the area suddenly much colder than it had before. He couldn't see, he could barely hear and half his limbs felt like stones. He was _scared_. He needed to get away from this place—wherever it was—and get back home. Where were his parents? His friends? And Naoto… he needed to see her. He needed to—

"_Hey, are you still here, Naoto? Man, I don't know any other way to put it. You look __**terrible**__. You should really get some sleep, you know… He'd have my head if he knew I was letting you neglect your heath worrying about him like this. He wouldn't want it… Besides, you know he'll pull through. He's way too stubborn to let a few broken bones and bruises stop him. He's our leader."_

"Y-Yosuke!?" Souji wheeled around, cursing as he remember that the bandages were over his eyes, rendering his vision useless. He strained his ears, trying to find the direction that the voices were coming from, but the familiar voices of his friends came from all sides as they echoed loudly in his ears.

"_You have to believe in him, Naoto-kun! He's gonna be just fine… I know he will! Don't you remember everything he's done before? If he could lead us through the TV world and battle all those Shadows every time, this will be a total cinch! Don't forget, he pulled through for us in the fight with Izanami too, remember? He trained with me too after school, so I know he's not going to __l__et this finish him off!"_

"Chie?" Souji turned around once more, growling in frustration. He stopped moving, sighing softly as he rubbed his bandaged forehead. He needed to calm down before he ended up making his situation worse. All he could do now was trust the voices he was hearing. They were his friends… and they'd never lead him astray before.

"_Souji-kun is the strongest of all of us. You have to believe he'll come back… He promised he'd come back to us, just before he got on the train, he promised! He promised he'd come back to __**you**__! He won't leave everything he cares about behind… Not when she's sitting right next to him… Rise-san, can you hand me that blanket? She's finally fallen asleep… She'll wake up again in an hour or so but…"_

"Yukiko... What's going on? Who's finally asleep? Naoto? Why isn't she sleeping? Why can't I see? Why…argh…" He fell silent as he waited, listening for the next voice, praying that it might become clearer than the last.

"_S-Senpai… He…he'll be alright, Naoto-kun! He's not going to give up and he's not going to leave you alone! Yukiko was right, he __**promised**__, didn't he? I mean… he's so tough! He wore a dress in front of the entire school with such a straight face! And… I mean… You're his __**world**__. He couldn't ever let you go. He knows you'd never forgive him if he did! Didn't you see his face when he was leaving? We were all talking to him, but his eyes never left __**you**__… He's coming back!"_

"Rise…"

"_Listen to 'em, kid. You've been sitting here for weeks waiting for Senpai to come back, and he knows you don't just up and leave him stranded. A man can't just leave a woman waitin' for him like this… and Senpai's probably the manliest of all of us. Even Yosuke-senpai looks like a girl compared to him and—don't give me that look, Yosuke-senpai, you know as well as I do it's the damn truth. Anyway… as long as you're around, he'll go through hell and high water to get back to you. So you can't give up on him either, or else! Got it!? I'll drag both your sorry asses back here and beat some sense into you."_

"Even Kanji…" Souji smiled faintly as he heard the familiar 'tough-guy' threats of his friend. Everyone knew he'd never pull through with them—at least not when it came to hurting his friends—but the gesture was still flattering. "Everyone is—"

"_I know how you feel, Naoto-kun… But big bro has always been there for us when we needed him most, so now it's our turn to be there for him! He knows we're waiting for him, he knows we wouldn't ever abandon him, not when he needs us most. You gotta believe in him, just like he believes in you! He __**loves**__ you! That's why he went back for the watch in the first place… You're more important than anyone to him… He wouldn't go somewhere if it meant he couldn't come back to you again!"_

"Nanako…" Souji sniffed, "Everyone… They're all waiting for me."

The silverette turned slowly as he felt a change in his surroundings. The area around him remained blank to his own eyes, yet he could sense dense atmosphere growing lighter.

"Naoto…" His voice was soft, almost desperate as he reached out in front of him, hoping that his hand would come into contact with something useful. "I…I need to go back. Naoto—she's waiting for me. But how do I…?"

"_**S-Senpai… wake up… Come back. There are people waiting for you, people who love you. They're scared, all of them. They—I can't lose you."**_

"Naoto..." Souji gulped, a tight feeling rising in his throat as he felt a burning sensation behind the bandages from tears that couldn't fall.

"_**Senpai—Souji-kun, I love you… wake up."**_

Souji's first clenched as he bowed his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. _Why? Why can't I do anything? For so long… Everyone has counted on me… They're all waiting for me to come back. Naoto is waiting for me… and I can't do anything-! I…_ His thoughts stopped abruptly as he felt a tingling sensation up his arm.

Instinctively, he ran a hand along his wrist, blinking as he felt something warm against his hand. A smooth surface attached to a soft band that, even in blindness, he'd know the familiar shape and feel of the object anywhere. _The watch… it's the watch she gave me…_

Something warm was slowly spreading through his body as he stood there, taking in the calming feeling that he wasn't completely along in the dark abyss. And then, in that comforting, healing warmth, he sensed it. He knew what he needed to do, where he needed to go.

"Naoto…" He turned, sprinting as fast as he could in a seemingly random direction. The heavy weights on his arms and legs didn't matter anymore, he couldn't feel them. He pushed himself forward faster, oxygen and fatigue didn't matter to him. His muscles could collapse on him… as long as he could make it to where he was going.

"Naoto!" He cried louder, the warmth emitted from his wrist providing him reassurance that he was going in the right direction. His pace didn't waver, continuing to move forward as fast as he could, until he felt a sudden throbbing in his wrist. A warning.

"Wha-?" Souji reached out, jumping as his hand came in contact with something soft. "What on…?" He ran his fingers long the soft fabric of the flat surface in front of him, trying to figure out what the soft object was. His hand continued to move upward until it came in contact with something fluffy and soft. _This is…a pillow? Definitely, there's no mistaking it. A pillow… but then…_

Souji ran his hand back down the object, eyebrows knitting together as he realized what it was, but unable to come up with a reason as to why it was there. _A bed…? But why would… No. It's not a normal bed… it's a…. hospital bed? Am I in a hospital? I can't be, a nurse would have stopped me from wondering around by now and everyone wouldn't have been speaking as if I weren't here. Then… is this my way back?_

_  
_The watch on his wrist began to emit the gentle warmth again, as if to answer his silent question. It beeped softly as he carefully lifted himself up onto the bed, one inch at a time to keep himself from missing that which he couldn't see and sending himself tumbling off the side.

"Now what—huh?"

The beeping grew steadily faster and louder as Souji laid himself down, resting his head on the soft pillows. His hand slid down the mattress as he tried to position himself, nearly falling off the bed in shock when his hand came in contact with something solid. He ran his hand over it, a soft smile falling on his face as he slowly wrapped his fingers around it, knowing immediately what he was holding. The shape, the smooth feeling, the soft texture… He'd held the hand so many times, even without sight or knowledge that the person was there; he'd never forget the feeling of that hand in his own.

A painful shock of what felt like electricity ran up and down his arm, shooting throughout his body, causing him to gasp in pain. The almost non-existent hand slowly began to form into something more solid, something _warm_, the feeling of another's flesh against his.

Fatigue suddenly washed over Souji, clouding his focus almost immediately. The warm aura from the watch was easing out steadily, reassuring him that what he was doing was right. He shut his eyes—or assumed that he had—behind the bandages, allowing the wave of exhaustion to pull him under. The heavy weighted feeling returned to his arm and leg as his body slowly went numb.

He opened his mouth to speak, but something was stuck inside his throat, causing him to choke as he tried to flex his vocal cords. He tried again, only to get the same result. He need to call out, to speak, to tell someone, _anyone_, that he was coming back. To let Naoto and his friends know that he was safe. He tried once again, only able to manage a small croaked whisper.

"Naoh…toh…"

Frustration coursed through him as he struggled against the feeling in his throat, growling softly in annoyance when no words would come out properly. Using the last of his strength, he tightened his grip on the slender hand in his own, trying to let the person know that he was alright—that he was coming home.

"Nao… I…" _I'm here… I'm coming home, Naoto… Please don't be sad anymore._

* * *

Ikeda slowly made her way down the hallway, reading the contents of a clip-board in her hand as she talked in hushed tones to a nurse walking beside her, pointing to a sheet of paper every few seconds as she explained something.

"Thank you for assisting me this morning with Seta-san, my normal partner is home sick today. She should be back in a few days and you'll be back on your normal shift in no time."

"It's no trouble," the other nurse replied with a small smile, "I'm happy to help. Is this his room?"

"Ah, yes. The door, could you—thank you." Ikeda nodded as she entered the room, sighing softly when she saw Naoto at the bed's side once more. "Shirogane-san…" She glanced up, blinking as the other nurse gave her a questioning look.

"That's right, you don't know—the girl beside the bed is Naoto Shirogane, Seta-san's girl—lover."

"Naoto Shiro—isn't that the name of the detective prince?"

Ikeda nodded as she walked over to the bed, not bothering to glance at the machines around Souji's bed as she looked around for the spare blanket she'd been using to cover Naoto when she went in for rounds. She spotted it on the floor, halfway under the bed and swooped down, scooping it up into her arms.

"She tends to fall silent if anyone brings the title up… and I can't blame her. I imagine right now nothing else is important to her. She's even been neglecting herself and if it weren't for that fact that I knew it would completely break her mentally to be away from him, I've have forced her to check into the hospital herself a week ago. As it is… the only thing keeping her from letting herself fall completely is his heartbeat. Should anything happen to him I can't imagine what—" Ikeda stopped, dropping the blanket in shock as she stared wide-eyed at the screen of one of the machine's connected to the young male.

"Ikeda-san? Ikeda-san! What's wrong! You suddenly—" Ikeda whirled around, rushing over to a wall in the room, slamming her hand against a red button that read 'Emergency call'. The nurse who'd joined Ikeda turned to look at the machines, blinking as she quickly scanned for whatever it was that had scared the other so badly… and then she saw it.

Souji's vital signs had picked up. Brain activity was functioning too quickly for him to be in a coma any longer… but his heart and breathing rate were quickly dropping.

"My God…" she muttered, dropping the clipboard she'd been carrying into a nearby chair, rushing over to the bed.

The machines were beeping more rapidly now, signaling that the person they were attached to neededimmediate attention.

"Shirogane-san… Shirogane-san!" The nurse shook Naoto's shoulder's roughly, causing the sleuth to jump awake, eyes wide as she looked around the room, gasping sharply.

"Wh-what? What's going—"

"You need to leave," the nurse interrupted, pulling the chair away from the bed as she dragged Naoto to her feet. "Now, you need to leave the room, doctors will be coming soon."

"What? Why!? What's—no! Stop!"

The chair was shoved roughly across the floor as a struggling Naoto was pushed towards the door, only to be jerked aside as several doctors ran in, their expression's serious.

"Get her out of her," one of them order sharply. "Tanazaki, get on the other side of the bed, I'll need your assistance. Koroyuki I need you to—"

The rest of the orders were cut off from her hearing as Naoto was forced into the hallway and the door to Souji's room was slammed shut, keeping all sound from the inside from coming out into the hallway. The detective stood frozen, eyes wide as her mind fought to process everything that had just happened. Doctors… the serious looks on their faces and all the beeping in the background that hadn't been there before. She had been forced from the room, told that she would only be in the way. Which only left…

"N-no…" She muttered, her voice trembling with terror as she whirled around to look at the door of Souji's ward. "No!" She cried, throwing herself against the door as she fumbled with the door handling, swearing loudly as she realized it was locked from the inside. They weren't going to allow her back in.

"No… No! NO!" Naoto slammed her fists against the door, eyes stunning as her vision blurred horribly, turning the image of the door into a smudged mass of gray, unable to see it clearly. "NO! Let me in! Let me back in the room!" She cried out, her voice was hoarse from the lack of use and overuse of tears. "Please! Let me in! If he dies and I'm not there he—DAMMIT! LET ME BACK INTO THE ROOM!" Her fists were turning red and going numb from hitting the door with too much force for so long. "Let me into the—"

"Nao-chan…" A gentle voice called from beside her, but she didn't care. She ignored it. Nothing else mattered. Nothing. Not when Souji was…

"Let me in! PLEASE! I'm begging you! Just let me back into the—"

"Nao-chan! You must calm down! Shouting like this isn't going to—"

"I don't care!!" Naoto screamed, turning on her heel as she redirected her fist toward the speaker rather than the door. "I have to get in there! I have—" Her hand stopped abruptly as someone caught it. The eyes which she'd squeezed shut opened slowly as she stared at the owner of the hand, blinking back tears as she tried to clear her vision.

"Naoto, sweetheart… There isn't anything we can do right now. Shouting… It's only going to add to your troubles and stress. You _must_ calm down, for Seta-kun as well. He wouldn't want you to—"

"G-Grandpa..." Naoto choked, her face contorting in main, making the old man's heart lurch as he gazed at the sorrow-filled face of his granddaughter. "I-I… I…" Her voice wavered and died as something seemed to wrap itself tightly around her throat, choking her. "I…" She let out a broken wail, throwing herself into her grandfather's waiting arms, sobbing pitifully into his chest as she clung to him like a lifeline.

"S-Souji-kun! He… I don't know what…" The sobs only intensified as the elder Shirogane eased Naoto down into a bench in the hallway, hugging the young girl close to his chest, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back in small circles.

"Naoto… Naoto, sweetie, hush now… It's alright; Souji is going to be just fine. He's a strong young man. He's not going to leave you alone, not like this... You're both going to grow old and die together of natural causes and nothing is going to change that. Come now, Naoto…" The sleuth's tears didn't stop, her grandfather's words barely reaching her ears as she shuddered violently, pain-filled sobs echoing down the hallway, causing several nurses to stop on their way to their rooms to ask if the detective was alright.

* * *

"Shirogane-sama, here, I found a blanket for her…"

"Ah, thank you Rise-chan…" The elder Shirogane accepted the blanket being held out to him with a smile of thanks, carefully wrapping it around the shoulders of the young detective leaning against him, with the help of his secretary.

"When did she finally fall asleep?" The idol asked softly, taking the seat next to Naoto, carefully pulling off the blue cap and placing it in her own lap.

"Just a few minutes ago," Yakushiji muttered, taking the seat beside Naoto's grandfather as he ran a hand through his short hair, looking exhausted, even with his dark glasses covering half his face. "She cried herself to sleep… I can't blame her, she's been out here for almost six hours without any news at all."

"What? You mean the doctors haven't said _anything?_ Dude… that's just messed up." Several heads turned as another voice joined the conversation, a brunette smiled weakly with a small nod in greeting.

"Yosuke!" Rise stood up, her eyes widening slightly. "Where have you--?"

"Hey, Rise-san, everyone… Sorry that took so long. Chie looked about ready to collapse by the time we reached the cafeteria so I took her back to the hotel room… I should have called before taking off, but it looked like she hadn't slept in weeks and… well… She didn't want to go, but I was finally able to get her to the car with the promise that I'd call as soon as anything changed." Yosuke sighed softly as he reached into a bag in his hand, pulling out cans and handing them out. "Anyway. I thought warm drinks would be best; I picked them up on the way back. Hopefully they might help calm out nerves a bit. Here's Naoto—Oh, ah…"

"That was very thoughtful of you, Hanamura-san," Yakushiji smiled slightly, taking two of the cans from Yosuke. "I'll hold onto hers. Just worry about yourself for now, I—ah, Sir, let me. You'll wake her if you keep shifting around like that…" The secretary reached over, gently prying a can out of his 'master's' hand, opening it before holding it out again. "Here, Sir."

"Thank you, Yakushiji… You're always helping me, even in the simplest of tasks."

"Of course, Master Masanori." The secretary smiled wearily, his exhaust still obvious. "I am always pleased to help."

"Oh hush…" Masanori cut his secretary off, shaking his head slowly. "That will be enough of that. There is no need to take a polite tone with me, I've told you this many times."

"Ah… R-right. Forgive me, Shirogane-sama."

"Yakushiji ," the elder Shirogane began in a warning tone, "If you continue, I will be forced to tell all these youngsters your name is 'Ashley'."

"W-wh…M-Masanori! You promised that—"

"Whoa! His name is Ashley? Seriously?" Yosuke grinned. "American, _nice_."

"N-no!" Yakushiji cried in distress, jumping to his feet. "That's not-! I-it's my _middle_ name! My first name is Junichi! D-don't listen to him!"

"Sure thing… Ashley."

"Hanamura-san!!!"

"Quiet!" All three of the males in the hallway jumped and turned around to look at Rise, who was now standing up, arms over her chest and looking cross. "You're all being too _loud!_ Do you _want_ to wake Naoto-kun up? She's _exhausted!_ Come on, show her a little respect…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you all here for Seta-san?" The group jumped as a soft female voice spoke up from behind them, turning to see Ikeda standing in front of Souji's door, looking tired.

"We are," Masanori nodded calmly, gesturing for the other three to sit down silently as he shifted Naoto closer to himself, a small feeling of dread weighing at the back of his mind. "How is he?"

"He's…" Ikeda trailed off, running a hand through her hair slowly, sighing softly. A long silence fell between Ikeda and the group as she re-adjusted her nurse-cap and glanced at the clipboard in her arms, shaking her head slowly. "He's asleep." She finally spoke. "Alive and well… but asleep. When he woke, some liquid—most likely his own salvia—managed to get in his breathing tube… his heartbeat increased because his brain took the sudden excessive amount of liquid as drowning and—" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Nevermind, forgive me for the lack of formalities. There were some complications when he woke, but everything is alright now. He's asleep, but he's responding to others' voices. He can't talk quite yet, but he's able to nod and since we've removed the bandages, he's able to blink in response to questions… however…" The nurse sighed again, looking uneasy. "…However, you may be best off introducing yourself by name when speaking to him; given his current condition, he might not know who you are."

"Wh-what?" Rise choked, standing up, tears gathering in her eyes. "But… why? H-he… he didn't…"

"He didn't forget us all, did he?" Yosuke bravely voiced Rise's fears as he reached for his cell-phone, dreading what he'd have to tell Chie. "He… but…"

Ikeda blinked, looking shocked. "What? Memory loss? I—no, his memory is in perfect condition, at least it _should_ be. The part of the brain that holds memories wasn't damaged, not enough to cause anything to be lost at least… The main damage was to the occipital cortex region of the brain. Of course, until he's better we can't completely analyze how bad the damage is or if it's simply optic nerve avulsion but, as of right now at least, Seta-san is completely—"

"—blind." Misanori finished gravely, earning a surprised look from Ikeda.

"Y-yes. I'm quite impressed, Shirogane-sama, how did—"

"B-blind?" Misanori winced, letting out a slow, silent breath, regretting his words as everyone turned to face Naoto, who was wide awake, staring at Ikeda with a mixed look of shock and horror. _Blind? He's… blind?_ Naoto felt something twist violently in her stomach as she fell back against the wall, staring at the floor blankly. _He's blind and… it's all my fault…_

* * *

I realize I never add notes after chapters, but I must take this moment to chuckle at all of you who believed I'd be taking Souji's memory away. I'm not _that_ cruel... the blindness was obvious from the first chapter, but I wouldn't have anything to do as far as memory loss goes. My plot was more-so based on him not having his sight. I'm fairly sure many of you will be pleased to hear that... but it does give me pride to know I tricked... all of you.

*Notes:

Masanori: model of justice

Junichi: obedient one


	4. Chapter 3

I apologize for the long wait between this chapter and the last. I know it's short, but I do hope chapter four will be longer as I'm finally falling into the middle of the story. I have several ideas I'm trying to work with at the moment and I'm hoping I'll be able to sort them out as I go. I doubt I'll be able to update again soon as I'm testing but I am writing down ideas as they come to sort out my thoughts.

Regardless, I'd like to thank my partner, Fiyerna for helping me with this chapter when I hit a wall. Be sure to give him thanks, won't you?

Do remember, reviews encourage me to write more.

**

* * *

Chapter Three**

"Are you—please tell me this is a joke." Naoto muttered, shakily raising herself to her feet. "Th-there must be some mistake. Souji-kun can't be…" She struggled to finish the sentence as a soft hand fell on her shoulder, slowly forcing her back down onto the bench.

Ikeda sighed softly, giving Naoto a sympathetic look. "I wish I was, dear. There is always a chance he'll be able to recover from this but… the chances are fairly low."

"B-but… Isn't there _anything_ we could-"

Ikeda shook her head. "I'm afraid all we can do is wait until he's stronger, Shirogane-san. Doing anything now would risk sending him back into a coma or worsen his condition to a point in which we can't help him." Naoto's eyes widened, but she no longer protested, falling back against the wall in shock as Ikeda continued.

"He's able to take visitors now, but… because of his current condition, we ask that only one person go in at a time. It will be hard enough for him to register a conversation with just one person. Should multiple people talk at once… We just do not wish to push such strain on his mind right now. The doctor was hesitant to let any of you in at all."

"Just… one? But…" Rise began, trailing off when Yosuke shook his head.

"Nevermind that, Rise-san. Let Naoto go in tonight. We can always see him—"

"No." The group turned in shock, staring at Naoto.

"You two… take your time. Go in and see him… I've been at his side for several weeks." The sleuth stood up, staring at the floor. "Yakushiji-san, Grandpa… you two should return to your hotel. I'm… going to get something to drink."

"Shouldn't we go after her?" Rise muttered softly as Naoto turned the corner, glancing uneasily at the others in the hallway.

"I imagine right now… she just needs some time to herself to think." Ikeda muttered softly, staring after Naoto. "She's probably gone down to the nurse's station to get something warm to drink. We told her she was always welcome there… I'll go check on her. Visiting hours will be over shortly, so you should all go see Seta-san while you have the chance."

"But…"

"Rise-san, you go in first. I have to call Chie anyway." Yosuke smiled, pushing Rise towards Souji's door before turning and starting at a slow jog. "I'll be back soon! So don't hog up all his time, eh?" He laughed before turning the corner and disappearing from view, leaving Rise standing awkwardly by the door.

"Um… I…"

"Go ahead, Kujikawa-san." Misanori stood up, smiling kindly. "I do believe I will take my granddaughter's advice and head back to the hotel with Yakushiji after we see to it that she's alright. Please, go and see Seta-san. Let him know that everything is…" The old man hesitated. As much as he wanted to say 'alright', he knew very well that things were far from it. Not only in Souji's case, but Naoto's as well. "…that everything is working itself out as best it can."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to see you; you're friends after all, aren't you?" Yakushiji spoke up, smiling softly. "It's quite alright. I know what you're thinking… as long as he's able to hear Naoto's voice before the night ends, I'm sure it will not matter if he hears another's voice first."

Rise hesitated before nodding slowly, offering Yakushiji a small smile.

"R-right. I'll need to leave soon anyway, so tell Naoto-kun I'll see her later, alright?" Taking in a deep breath, the idol slipped into the room, shutting her eyes as she prepared herself for the sight that was soon to come. Despite the many visits she had paid Souji in recent days, the sight of him in the hospital bed only seemed to leave her in worse condition than before.

"H-hey, Senpai," she called softly. "It's Rise. How are you feeling?" The pig-tailed girl opened her eyes as Souji's eyes slowly moved towards the sound of her voice, looking several feet to her right. He blinked twice, frowning slightly as his eyes moved around slowly, trying to pin-point the source of the voice.

Noticing Souji's troubles, Rise quickly pulled a chair up beside the bed, slipping into it before reaching for Souji's hand and taking it lightly in her own. The idol winced as she ran a finger over the back of his hand, noting that she was able to feel far too many bones for her liking. _His hand is just as frail as Naoto's… But Senpai has an excuse. He hasn't been able to control what food and nutrients were put into him… but Naoto-kun… I need to tell Senpai…_

"You must be tired…" Rise finally spoke, a sad smile on her face. "I know… I'm probably not who you want to have here right now—I mean, I'm not saying you don't want me here at all, I'm just saying…I mean I'm not… Naoto-kun." Souji blinked slowly, most of his face covered from the oxygen mask. "She's really missed you, you know. Probably more-so then anyone else. She… she was the first to get here. Just a few hours after you did… Since your parents are stuck overseas—they call almost every day, by the way. Naoto-kun and your mother sound like they get along really well—the hospital called Naoto since she was in your emergency contacts…" The idol trailed off, realizing how awkward she sounded.

Sighing, she slowly pulling her hand away from Souji's, biting her lip as she struggled to find the words she _needed_ to stay. _I need to let him know about Naoto-kun. If anyone can help her…_ "U-um… a-anyway… I'm really glad to see your eyes open, Senpai." She paused hesitantly, "They're… only letting one of us in at a time. Naoto-kun insisted that Yosuke-kun and I go first… since she's been with you since you got here. I… really wish I could stay, but my agent is probably getting worried, so I have to leave really soon."

Rise stood slowly, taking a step back from the bed as she eyed Souji, a pitiful look on her face. _I can't tell him… I'm sure he's stressed enough as it is. I don't need to make it worse… _Forcing a cheery grin, Rise waved—despite the fact her motions went unnoticed—as she slowly started stepping backward, reaching behind her for the door.

"I'll… send Yosuke in, okay? I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. And besides, visiting hours are almost over… Naoto-kun is able to stay the night with you, but Chie will murder Yosuke-kun if he gets back to their hotel and he hasn't talked to you at all. So I'll… um… See you later then." Opening the door quickly, Rise slipped out, gasping in surprise as she crashed into a solid chest, saved from tumbling backward by an arm wrapping around her waist.

"Oops! Sorry, you okay?"

"Yosuke-kun… Oh I'm… fine."

"You sure…?" Yosuke frowned, helping Rise straighten herself, stepping back as he eyed Souji's door. "Did something happen?"

"No… It's not that. It's nothing." The idol forced a smile as she waved her hands in front of her face, side-stepping Yosuke as she started down the hall. "It's just… I'm thinking about a lot right now. Senpai and Naoto-kun… This is going to be really hard for them both."

"Did you… tell him about her?"

Rise paused, shaking her head slowly. "N-no. I couldn't… He's going to be stressed enough as it is right now. He can't see anything that's going on… We know that the nurses are going to run tests on him day and night for a few weeks… If he's worried about Naoto, he's going to end up doing exactly what she's doing. He'll neglect his own health while he tries to…" Her voice began to waver as she trailed of, gulping down the lump she felt rising in her throat. "I… couldn't say anything."

"Do you want me to?" Yosuke asked quietly, walking up behind Rise, digging into his pocket, retrieving a faded white handkerchief which he offered to Rise, who shook her head, smiling gratefully.

"No… We should at least wait until he's able to sit up on his own before we tell him anything.

"Do we have enough time…? No… rather, does _Naoto_ have enough time?"

Rise winced, turning to face Yosuke, eyes shining as she spoke. "D-don't say things like that!" she hiccuped, looking pale. "D-don't you d-dare s-say stuff like that! N-Naoto-kun is going to be just fine! And so is Senpai! So don't… don't… Y-you jerk!"

Turning on her heel, the idol ran down the hallway, nearly crashing into a nurse as she rounded the corner, leaving a baffled Yosuke standing with his hand on the doorknob. _W-what the hell…? I wasn't trying to… _Sighing, the brunette turned back to the door, opening it and stepping inside, a pained look on his face. _I'm going to have to find her and apologize before I head back to the hotel… Man, Chie is gonna kill me for being late._

Pushing his thoughts aside, Yosuke plopped himself into the chair beside the bed loudly, causing Souji to raise an eyebrow.

"Hey partner, how's it going?" He paused, laughing nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I guess your voice isn't going to be working for a day or two, huh? Man… You're always listening to me talk. One of these days, I owe it to you to just sit down and let you rant about… whatever you want, I guess. Haha… ah…"

The brunette sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair slowly as he nibbled his lower lip. _If I don't tell him… He'd never forgive me for hiding it from him. Rise-san… I'm sorry, but he needs to know._ Glancing up, he winced, noticing the smile on Souji's face as the other listened to his—somewhat—ridiculous rant. _He's smiling again… Damn it, why do I have to be the one to drop the bomb?_

"…Okay, partner, listen carefully, alright? You've always been honest with me, even when I haven't always wanted to hear what you had to say, but you need to know this. Heh, yet somehow I think you already have a feeling about that's going on." He gulped, shifting around uneasily his seat, glancing towards the door to insure no one was going to come inside. "It's… about Naoto."

The smile slowly faded from Souji's face and despite the tube in his throat and mask on his face. It was obvious how serious his expression had become, the look urging Yosuke to continue.

"W-well, you see—She was the first to get here, you know… After the accident. She left in the middle of the night, from what I heard, she gave her secretary Ash—sorry, Yakushiji a real scare. She was _really_ scared and she's been so worried about you, partner. I've never seen her this panicked before and—Rise-san has been visiting her to make sure that—Argh! D-damn it! She's killing herself, Souji!"

The brunette was panicking now, and Souji could easily tell. He'd been best friends with the other long enough that—despite his lack of vision—he could tell from the other's tone, the headphone clad boy was upset and even scared. Wincing, Souji slowly moved his arm—taking care not to pull harshly on any of the IVs—and reached out, finding Yosuke's knee and giving it a weak squeeze, hoping the gesture would help the brunette calm down.

"You… you suck, you know that?" Yosuke muttered in a defeated tone, slumping back in his chair. "Even when you're practically a cripple and can't see jack-shit, you're still as calm as ever! You're—I mean, how can you…!? Man… I wish I were like you. I really do… Heh, maybe if I were, Chie wouldn't have to worry about me as much as she does. I… finally asked her out, you know." Despite the serious aura in the room, Yosuke couldn't help but blush as Souji gave him a small smile.

"Man, aren't you scared at all…?" Yosuke muttered, leaning his arms against the bed, as if it were a desk. "If I were you, I'd be horrified if it were Chie—of course, that girl almost never stops eating her steak so—"

"…ske…"

"H-huh? Whoa, man! Don't talk if—"

"…No. I… am scared… but… if… if I'm… strong…" Souji coughed, struggling to force his voice over the tube and hum of the oxygen mask. "If… I'm … strong… then she… will be too."

"I hope you're right," Yosuke sighed, leaning back again. "Just be glad you can't see her. She… She hasn't eaten in days—I mean, Rise-san has forced small bits of food down her throat, but she's running on less than a single full meet a week. Maybe now that you're awake, you can talk her into eating more often as soon as they take that tube out, huh?"

Souji nodded, looking serious again. "I…I can try."

Yosuke nodded. "You… gotta talk to her, man. 'Cause right now… you're the only one she's gonna listen to. You're her world, dude. Her _world._ After you left… She was even more distant than _before_ she joined the investigation team. She just… closed herself off. Only Rise-san and Kanji could get her to talk for more than a few minutes, and that only lasted for about a year. You're the only reason she's still alive, man. If you… if you hadn't made it, she would have ended it all _weeks_ ago. So… help her get her act together, okay? She needs you now, more than ever. Just… just like you need her." _Like it or not, partner, without your sight… You're going to have to depend on us for a while now._

Souji nodded slowly, allowing his eyes to slip shut as he coughed weakly, pushing forward the will to talk, despite the feeling of needing to throw up the tube gave him with each word.

"…Alright. Send… her in… Please." Yosuke stood up, nodding at Souji's words, forgetting for a moment that his actions couldn't be seen.

"I'll see if Ikeda-sama has found her yet. She—Ah, she's your nurse by the way. Ikeda, I mean. I'll see if she's found Naoto-kun, she said she might know where our little detective ran off to." The brunette hesitated, hovering near Souji's bed briefly before leaning down, quickly wrapping his arms around Souji loosely, lingering for only a few seconds before pulling back, blushing a deep crimson.

"D-don't get the wrong idea! I just—I mean… You… did the same thing when I—Argh… D-damn it! Look, we're best friends; we're… allowed to hug so—damn. I'm just… going to go get her then. Feel better soon dude, for all our sakes. Rise's worrying herself into a fit over you _and_ Naoto. I'm probably already on Chie's shit-list for not giving her hourly updates. I'll stop by tomorrow… Stay strong, partner..."

Turning quickly on his heel, Yosuke darted for the door of the room, glancing over his shoulder in time to see the grateful nod Souji gave him. A faint smile graced the brunette's lips as he slipped out into the hall, closing the door silently behind him. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair slowly, fidgeting with his headphones with the other hand as he looked down the hallway.

"Guess I'd better find her quickly. The later I am, the more pissed Chie—Oh! Naoto-kun… Hey. You feeling alright?"

The brunette offered the sleuth a kind smile as she stepped out of a room several feet ahead of him, followed closely by a smiling Ikeda, who was holding what appeared to be an empty mug. The nurse pushed Naoto forward, urging her towards Souji's room, pushing a blanket that she'd been holding in her other hand into the sleuth's arm with a small wink.

"You'll know why I gave it to you when you need it." Was all the nurse said before opening Souji's door and forcing Naoto inside, closing the barrier with a loud 'click'. "…Hopefully she'll at least get a full night's sleep tonight, now that he's better... and she's had a drink of this." Ikeda glanced at the mug in her hand, looking slightly guilty as she turned to Yosuke. "Keep this a secret, alright? I'm… not supposed to do something like this, but I crushed a few sleeping pills and slipped them into her tea. She didn't notice but… I could lose my job if anyone found out…"

"You're just trying to help her out," Yosuke cut the nurse off, smiling oddly. "As long as she doesn't suddenly die in her sleep or something, I won't tell anyone."

"You'll keep the pills a secret?"

"What pills?" Yosuke grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for all your hard work Ikeda-sama. Really… For helping Souji _and_ Naoto-kun. They're _both_ still with us thanks to you."

"You're a kind boy…" Ikeda muttered softly, unusual cherry-wine eyes meeting Yosuke's brown ones. "A loyal friend as well… I heard Shirogane-san talking about all the phone calls you'd make until you were able to get here yourself. I'm sure Seta-san will pull through one-hundred percent. After all… he has friends like you cheering him on."

Glancing at the door, Ikeda chuckled. "I'll stop by again in an hour or so to make sure they're both asleep." She turned back to Yosuke. "The other girl, Rise-san, is in the lobby. Another nurse is speaking with her, waiting for you. You'd better hurry along if you wish to speak with her before heading off to the hotel."

"Wha-? How…?" Yosuke's eyes widened in shock. Ikeda hadn't been the hall when he was talking about that.

"I'm a nurse, Hanamura-san. It's my job to know these things and help our patients and visitors as best I can.

"Oh… R-right. Thanks. Have a good evening.

"You as well, Hanamura-kun."

Yosuke smiled faintly before slipping around Ikeda and darting own the hall, frowning faintly. _That's… really weird,_ he thought, stepping into the elevator. _I… don't remember giving her my name. Man, she must be really good._

_

* * *

_

Souji's head turned, blank eyes facing the doorway as he heard it open and shut. Silence fell between the two occupants of the room, both scarcely daring to breathe as their eyes met—despite one's lack of sight, their eyes never broke from the others.

"…Naoto." The silverette's voice was soft and raspy, weaker than it had been when he'd spoken to Yosuke, but it held a warm, welcoming tone. The detective lingered by the doorway, feeling a lump rising quickly in her throat for what must have been the thousandth time since she'd come to the hospital.

Silently, she slowly made her way across the room, stopping beside the bed, a hand closely raising itself to her mouth. She gasped sharply, making Souji's gaze snap towards her, the silver eyes meeting her own, blinking slowly. Even without sight, Souji's eyes remained as strong and expressive as ever and Naoto could read every message he said with them.

'_Naoto, I'm home…'_

"Senpai-!" Naoto choked, throwing herself as gently as possible against Souji's chest, wrapping her arms around the other as tightly as she could without hurting him. "S-Senpai… Y-you fool! You're… such a fool! You're always acting like this. I could have made you another watch; I could have _fixed_ yours! Don't you ever do something like this again! I-I was so _worried!_ I-I…"

Two arms, one harder and heavier than the other, wrapped around her waist, only causing the sleuth's outpouring to double in intensity as she pressed herself closer to Souji's chest, choking on her own tears as she tilted her head upward to meet Souji's.

'_Don't cry, Naoto… I'm alright. It's going to be alright… Please don't cry anymore.'_

The sleuth sniffled sputtered wordlessly, pressing her lips against Souji's neck, unable to meet his lips. The arms around her waist tightened their grip weakly, trying to pull her closer. _Yosuke wasn't kidding… _He thought sadly. _She's always been small, but this… Her ribs and shoulders… I can feel too many of her bones. She shouldn't be like this. Naoto… What have you been doing to yourself?_

The silverette's eyes began to droop, a sudden wave of exhaustion sweeping over him. As if feeling the sudden change, Naoto pulled back, rubbing her eyes clumsily with the back of her sleeve. She sniffed, fumbling with one of the flimsy hospital tissues as she wiped her nose.

"You… must be tired," she hiccupped, forcing a small smile. "I…I'll leave the room for a while. Until you're able to-" The sleuth stopped, blinking as she felt a hand tugging on her own. Her gaze moved down, raising an eyebrow as she glanced between Souji and their joint hands. "Senpai…?"

He tugged on her hand, his eyes moving around slowly until they finally met her own, continuing upward before moving back town, locking their gazes.

'_Don't go. Stay here… please.' _Naoto hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at the door.

"W-wait. Senpai, I-" His hand pulled hers again, a pleading look on his face.

'_Stay…'_

"Souji-kun…" Naoto sighed softly, shaking her head as she slowly removed her hat, setting it on the table next to the bed. "…I'll return shortly."

Standing up, the sleuth hurried over to her duffel bag, digging through the clothes that had been washed numerous times over the past few weeks, producing her pajamas. Glancing once more at Souji, she slipped into the bathroom, emerging several minutes later with her toothbrush, brush and clothes clumsily shoved into her bag.

Shoving the stuffed duffel into an empty corner of the room, Naoto approached the bed again. Her cheeks slowly darkened as she reached out toward Souji, touching his hand lightly, instantly feeling his fingers close around her own.

"Naoto…" his voice rasped a second time, the warm look still sparkling in his eyes. "Naoto… st...ay…"

"…I know, Senpai."

With a final look towards the door, Naoto swallowed her nervousness and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, her cheeks flushing more darkly as she slowly raised her legs onto the bed, situating herself comfortably before lying her head back. Souji shifted sideways, moving his body as best he could to allow her more room, but Naoto touched his arm gently, indicating that she was alright.

Even with a cast, tubes and several IVs, Naoto's frail form still fit perfectly against Souji's. His arms wrapped around her waist again, as one of her own loosely draped over his side, allowing them to close the remaining space between them.

"Nao…to—"

"—Don't talk, Senpai. You're… going to exhaust yourself again."

"…o…to… I…ou…"

"…Senpai?"

"…I… love you."

Naoto inhaled sharply, blinking her eyes rapidly as they began to sting. Gulping, she pressed her face to Souji's chest, her free hand finding one of his own and grasping it tightly.

"…I love you too, Senpai. I… w-welcome home."

* * *

The door to Souji's room opened and a tall figure stepped inside, followed quickly by another.

"Misanori? Are you sure she's in here? She could still—"

"I'm sure, Yakushiji."

"Huh? How can you—"

"Just look around, my dear friend. Look at the bed."

"The b—oh!"

Yakushiji's eyes widened as they fell on the two figures laying in the bed, wrapped in one another's warm embrace, their breathing soft and quiet as sleep consumed them, slowly healing the effects of the long day they'd both gone through. Naoto shifted in her sleep, making her Grandpa and his secretary wince, expecting her to sit up in a flustered mess when she realized they'd seen her lying in bed with another.

"…I suppose this means she won't be coming home with us then?"

Misanori chuckled, shaking his head. "It would seem so." The elderly Shirogane smiled softly, walking over to the bed, reaching out with a gentle hand, brushing several strands of hair from his granddaughter's face, bending down, pressing his lips to her forehead briefly, backing away when she shifted in her sleep again.

"We should let them be. Come on, old friend, we shall head back to our hotel for the night. I'm sure these two will be just fine."

"Are you su—"

"—Quite sure, thank you." Misanori smiled, gripping Yakushiji's elbow as he pulled the faintly flustered secretary from the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"They've both been having a very trying time. Let them rest for now—enjoy one another's embrace. From here… things are only going to get harder—for both of them… and they're going to need the other for strength much more desperately then they now realize… but for now… let them sleep. Let them rest and embrace the world of their dreams, where no one is sick… where there is no blindness, and they only have each other and the beautiful worlds they create in their minds."

"…Sir?"

"Yes, Ashley?" The secretary winced at the use of his middle name, but pressed onward anyway.

"…That was _terribly_ cliché'."

"…Ashley?"

"Yes, Misanori?"

"I mean this with only the highest regard of respect that I have for you."

"…?"

"Shut up."


	5. IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE!

I'm sorry to say that Downward Spiral is going to go on a temperary hiatus. No one need worry, I am _not_ going to leave this story alone as I have some of my other projects. I fully intend to finish this one and I dearly want to, but right now I am working on a much larger project.

I've taken on a "100 themes challenge" that I found on DeviantART by the user darknessversuslight. I've already come up with several ideas for the themes and I hope to finish all 100 before the school year is out.

I will, however, continue to work on Downward Spiral as ideas come to be for it, but I won't be updating as much as I have been. However, I can assure you I will post the 100 theme challenge stories as soon as they have been beta'd. Hopefully--if I post enough of them--I'll help the SoujixNaoto fanbase grow as well.

Below are the 100 themes and I believe any Persona fan would understand why I was excited when I found them. At least 90 of them have VERY easy relations to Persona AND SoujixNaoto.

**The List**

1. Introduction  
2. Complicated  
3. Making History  
4. Rivalry  
5. Unbreakable  
6. Obsession  
7. Eternity  
8. Gateway  
9. Death  
10. Opportunities  
11. 33%  
12. Dead Wrong  
13. Running Away  
14. Judgement  
15. Seeking Solstice  
16. Excuses  
17. Vengeance  
18. Love  
19. Tears  
20. My Inspiration  
21. Never Again  
22. Online  
23. Failure  
24. Rebirth  
25. Breaking Away  
26. Forever and a day  
27. Lost and Found  
28. Light  
29. Dark  
30. Faith  
31. Colours  
32. Exploration  
33. Seeing Red  
34. Shades of Grey  
35. Forgotten  
36. Dreamer  
37. Mist  
38. Burning  
39. Out of Time  
40. Knowing How  
41. Fork in the road  
42. Start  
43. Nature's Fury  
44. At Peace  
45. Heart Song  
46. Reflection  
47. Perfection  
48. Everyday Magic  
49. Umbrella  
50. Party  
51. Troubling Thoughts  
52. Stirring of the Wind  
53. Future  
54. Health and Healing  
55. Separation  
56. Everything For You  
57. Slow Down  
58. Lesson  
59. Challenged  
60. Exhaustion  
61. Accuracy  
57. Versus  
58. Heartfelt Apology  
59. Luck  
60. Impressions  
61. Teenager  
62. Irregular Orbit  
63. Cold Embrace  
64. Frost  
65. A Moment in Time  
66. Dangerous Territory  
67. Boundaries  
68. Unsettling Revelations  
69. Shattered  
70. Bitter Silence  
71. The True You  
72. Pretence  
73. Patience  
74. Midnight  
75. Shadows  
76. Summer Haze  
77. Memories  
78. Change in the Weather  
79. Illogical  
80. Only Human  
81. A Place to Belong  
82. Advantage  
83. Breakfast  
84. Echoes  
85. Falling  
86. Picking up the Pieces  
87. Gunshot  
88. Possession  
89. Twilight  
90. Nowhere and Nothing  
91. Answers  
92. Innocence  
93. Simplicity  
94. Reality  
95. Acceptance  
97. Enthusiasm  
98. Game  
99. Friendship  
100. Endings


	6. Chapter 4

I realize a lot of people are going to be slightly upset--actually I know you're _all_ going to be upset at this, and I apologize profusely.

As it is, the ending of my junior year in high-school isn't going to be the cake-walk I'd hoped it would be. My Japanese class is getting exceedingly difficult and all my teachers seem to think it is a good idea to suddenly start throwing projects at us one after the other (as it is, I have one in journalism, two in philosophy, a term paper in history and an essay--as well as other work--in Japanese).

The work load on top of the 100-themes challenge _and_ Downward Spiral is too much to hand, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop this story. I've begun to run low on ideas and I lost sight of what I was originally going to do with it and I'm truly sorry to all who wanted to see the story through. Perhaps over the summer I might be able to pick it up again, but as of right now, the story is terminated... It's one less thing I'll have to worry about.


	7. Chapter 4 Serously!

**April Fools!**

In all honesty, I didn't expect anyone to fall for this... I'd originally planned to say I was going to drop both this and the 100-themes challenge, but I thought that would have made the 'prank' too obvious. I apologize to anyone who was upset over the idea of me stopping the story and to those who fell for the note... Thank you for being such good sports.

Unfortunately, what I said in the note _was_ true--all but the fact that I was stopping this story. I do have a lot going on right now in school and I'm doing my best to balance it all, but as most know, junior year is fairly difficult. Happily, I was permitted into two 'Senior Only' classes, which means that at the end of May I'll only have 3 in-school hours (and one online class) to focus on and I'll have more time to write and think about plot development.

In any case... Thank you to _**Senpai [Fiyerna] **_for beta-ing this for me so late at night so that I might post it today. I hope you all enjoy this.

Ah, however, **this** really isn't a prank. After this chapter, Downward Spiral WILL have slower updates while I work on the 100-themes challenge.

**

* * *

Chapter Four**

A soft knock filled the silent hospital room causing Souji's head to snap towards the direction of the door, his blank eyes blinking slowly as he tried to pin-point the barrier's location.

"Come in!" He called softly, his voice unable to go above a high whisper, still not accustomed to using it again.

The door opened and the silverette listened as the sound of thick soles slapped against the floor, the soft swishing of a chain breaking the silence of the room.

"Kanji," he greeted with a warm smile.

"H-huh? How'd you-? Shit, Senpai, you're good. Even without eyes you're as quick as ever… Remind me to hire you as a bodyguard sometime..."

"I doubt you'll ever need one. As long as you don't anger Naoto or Chie, you'll be alright."

Kanji laughed, the sound coming out hesitantly as he imagined any of his female friends angry. He could understand Souji's point with Naoto and Chie—one of them had a gun on her person at all times and the other had nearly sent Yosuke to the emergency room with a single kick for breaking a DVD. Still, if given the choice, he wouldn't want to face any of them in their full-blown anger. Yukiko could be terrifying when she wanted to and he didn't even want to imagine what Rise—her agents, fans or bodyguards—could do to him.

"I-I'll be careful…" he finally muttered, scratching the bad of his head. "So, uh… How are you feeling, Senpai? I know I haven't been able to visit ya or anything lately, but Ma's shop has suddenly gotten really popular again and we've been getting' all sortsa weird orders—You know, for those cross-stitch animals I made? I've been helpin' her out a lot so—"

"Don't apologize," Souji shook his head. "I'd rather you help her than waste the time to come out here and stare at me in a chair. I'm much better than I was before… You all don't have to worry so much."

"You'd do the same if it were us, wouldn't ya? You've always been the one who did stuff to keep us happy. Always standing as the strong man who kept us from fallin' apart or pulling some stupid shit. Now that we can help _you_, we're gonna grab the chance and do all we can, ya know? You're uh… Important to us and uh… You're like, really important to Naoto. Man, I don't think I've ever seen her act the way she did when she got the call. I swear it musta been past midnight when she called me in a panic saying that she was on a train and wouldn't be in school and to tell her secretary to pick up her assignments or somethin'. I dunno… She was talking too fast to understand and cryin' up a storm… I tried to calm her down but she hung up before I could get much out. Still… I'm glad you're doin' better, Senpai."

The white-haired boy trailed off, looking uneasy. His left heel tapped against the ground rapidly, a nervous habit he'd picked up over the last few weeks—a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Souji. The silverette reached out slowly, making Kanji jump as his hand clasped the other's knee.

"Something is bothering you." They both knew it didn't need to be a question. Kanji sighed as he fell back in his chair, laughing dryly as he stared at the ceiling.

"Damn, how're you always able to tell when someone's feelin' like shit, man? It's like you got a… sixth sense or somethin' for this stuff. Yeah… somethin's botherin' me but I dunno what can be done about it." He sat up, his voice turning serious, taking a tone that Souji rarely heard him use. "How's Naoto doing? I heard about—err… Well, I heard some stuff from Rise-chan and Yosuke-senpai. They said she's… really messed up right now. Not eatin' and barely drinkin'. They said she looks like a uh… I think Rise-chan said 'a skeleton of what she used to be', or somethin'. What's—"

The door opened, causing Kanji to stop talking abruptly as both boys—one unseeing—looked up. Kanji gasped sharply, causing Souji to squeeze his knee in attempts to keep the younger man from speaking. Soft, almost silent footsteps moved away from the door, a soft 'click' indicating that the door had shut behind them. Kanji stood up abruptly, causing Souji to clear his throat loudly, a hand raising itself to graze the other's elbow. A warning to keep quiet.

"Naoto… You're back." Souji did his best to smile as warmly as he could, extending a hand towards the sound of the footsteps, clasping the frail one that took his own tightly.

"I apologize for the wait," Souji heard Kanji gasp again as Naoto spoke. Her voice was quieter than usual, almost strained. "The line for breakfast was much longer than I anticipated and I wasn't sure what was light enough for you to eat. The doctor ordered that you were to intake no heavy foods but everything down there was…"

"Its fine, Naoto." Souji muttered, tugging on her hand lightly. "You picked up… mixed fruit. Strawberries, honeydew and… oranges?"

"Clementines," Naoto corrected, smiling faintly. "You're getting better."

"I try my best."

"Shit." Both heads turned in the direction of the curse, looking at Kanji in confusion. "You can tell all that just from sniffin'? Damn, and I thought Teddie's nose was good. He's gonna be upset if you replace him."

Souji sighed in relief when he heard Naoto chuckle weakly, taking the seat Kanji had been using previously. _At least she's still laughing…_

"I brought chopsticks since there weren't many forks left by the time I was able to get out of line. I hope you don't mind. I-"

"You'll help me, won't you?" Souji smiled softly, mentally chuckling when he heard a small squeak from Naoto, indicated that his smile had worked its charms on her once more.

"Y-yes. Of course… Here, open your mouth."

The silverette parted his lips slightly, closing them around the sliced strawberry being offered to him, wincing as he heard Kanji shift violently next to them.

"Shit! I didn't think that it was-!"

Souji's foot jerked out, connecting with Kanji's shin, causing the curse to turn into a slew of jumbled words as the boy stumbled back in pain. He raised a hand, trailing it along Naoto's wrist until he found her sleeve, slowly pulling it back up her arm. _I'm sorry you had to see, Kanji… You didn't think it was this bad, did you? I didn't think it was either. Yosuke warned me that she wasn't at all herself, but…_

"Kanji-kun? A-are you alright?" The chopsticks were pulled away from Souji's mouth as Naoto stood up, walking towards the bleach-blond who swore again and stepped back, nodding his head vigorously.

"I-I'm f-fine, Naoto. I uh… hit my shin on Senpai's chair is all. It's not a big deal. I'm fine… but I… I gotta run. I told Ma I'd be back before it got dark and I still gotta grab lunch and let Rise-chan know that I didn't do anything stupid while I was here. So uh… y-you two have a good meal. Later!" Souji listened as hurried footsteps moved away from his chair, following by the sound of a door being opened and slammed shut.

"…What-?" Naoto started, stopping as Souji shook his head slowly, motioning for Naoto to sit down.

"It's nothing, don't worry about Kanji. He's just fine." _It's __**you**__ he's worried about. We all are…_

"He said 'chan', right? When did he start calling Rise, 'chan'?"

Naoto remained silent as she held a slice of clementine to the others lips, gently prodding his mouth with the fruit when he didn't open it. He took it silently, chewing slowly as he raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

"Well…" The eyebrow rose higher, he could hear the faint tone of amusement in her voice, but it was much weaker than he remembered it ever being. "…Shortly after you left—just a few months I believe—Kanji-kun asked Rise-san to a dance the school organized. I assume things must have gone well for them... they've been dating ever since."

"Hauff zeuh?" The silverette's voice came out muffled through several slices of strawberries. He swallowed before continuing, "Well I… didn't see that coming. Did Yosuke and Chie go together?"

"They did… Yukiko-san went as well, with another boy from school. He's a third year; unfortunately I don't remember his name. I've only met him once."

"I see…" Souji hesitated, "…And you?" Naoto didn't respond and the silverette could easily tell she'd become uncomfortable. He moved his hand, grasping her own wrapped around the edge of the bowl, urging her to continue as worry poked the back of his mind. "Naoto? I wouldn't be upset if you went… You did go, didn't you? With friends?"

"The 'investigation squad' are my only friends, Senpai… Rise-san and Kanji-kun would be the closest to me after you... I don't have oth—"

"Naoto, don't avoid—"

"…I didn't go," the sleuth sighed. "I didn't have a reason to go. It was a dance for _couples_, Senpai. I… didn't have a partner."

Souji winced again, guilt shooting through him as his hand tightened around Naoto's, an apologetic look on his face. "Naoto I—if you'd just called I… You shouldn't have had to spend that night alo—mmfgh."

The detective cut Souji off as she forced another slice of fruit into his mouth, shaking her head slowly.

"It is of no importance, Senpai. I spent the night with Grampa, helping him on the case he had at the time. I was perfectly—"

"You wanted to go." The silverette stated softly, his blank gaze drifting downward, a guilty look crossing his features. "I'm sorry, Naoto. I could have—"

"You could have what, Senpai? Rushed to Inaba for a single night just to dance? That's hardly realistic and I couldn't have asked for such a thing. You—"

"—would have come in an instant without question. Something like that is important."

"Senpai, I—eek!" Naoto's words were cut off with a surprised yelp as Souji gave her arm a sharp tug. She tumbled forward, falling into the silverette's already open arms as the bowl of fruit landed on the tile-floor with a loud clatter. "S-Senpai?"

"I'm sorry…"

"W-what? Why are you-? Senpai, there is no reason for you to apologize to me. You're the one who is—"

"You've missed out on a lot because of me."

"I didn't want—"

"Don't give me that!" Naoto jumped, flinching as she tried to pull away. It wasn't often that she heard an upset tone in Souji's voice.

"You _wanted_ to do these things—don't tell me you didn't. I know… I can tell, just from the way you talked about them, you _wanted_ to do them."

"If you weren't there, the only reason I had for wanting to go—"

"—wasn't there." Souji cut her off again, tightening the grip he had around her shoulders. "I wasn't there for school dances or events... I wasn't there on your sixteenth birthday—or any of the ones after that. I wasn't there for your graduation or when you were accepted into college. I couldn't be there for you when Rise went back into the movie business after graduation to comfort you when you were feeling alone. I couldn't come when your grandfather was sick and admitted to the hospital for—"

"H-how did you know about-?"

"I _asked_ people, Naoto. I knew you were hiding things from me, you didn't want me to worry about you. You didn't want _anyone_ to worry… But people are noticing. Rise told me about your grandfather and I asked Kanji to keep a close eye on you, because I knew after myself and Rise, he was the closest friend you had. I can't even begin to imagine how you still claim that I'm the closest person to you when I couldn't—when I wasn't…"

"Senpai, none of that matters to me! I didn't _need_ you there physically. Whenever I called, or sent a letter, an e-mail… _Anything._ If I tried to reach you, you'd always be there to reply, if only for a few minutes or lines you _still_ made time. You—"

"And worst of all… I'm still not able to help you _now,_ because I don't know what's going on... why you're doing this to yourself."

"D-doing to myself?" Naoto felt her heart pound painfully in her chest, breath hitching as she forced herself to keep a calm tone. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Senpai. I'm perfectly alright. You should worry more about—"

"Worry about myself?" Souji asked quietly, shifting Naoto so that she was sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist to keep her from running. "How… can I even being to worry about myself when you're dying, right in front of me and I can't do anything about it?"

"I—"

"Your voice is quieter than I ever remember it being."

"It's a hospital, one shouldn't shout—"

"Your skin isn't as silky as it used to be…"

"I haven't had the means of fully taking care of it. I've only been using what the hospital giv—"

"Your weaker then you used to be, you're hardly in control. Your hands are always shaking…"

"It's just cold and—"

"You're lighter then you used to be."

"I-I'm on a"

"Stop!" Souji's face contorted in pain as he pressed his face against Naoto's chest, shaking his head. "Stop making excuses! Stop hiding things from me, Naoto..."

"I…I…" Souji pulled back, grabbing Naoto's arm and forcing up the sleeve, wrapping his hand around her wrist.

"Bones, Naoto. I can feel your _bones_—and I'm willing to admit you can _see_ them even better than I can feel them. Kanji didn't know how bad your condition was, but I'm willing to admit that's why he took off… Because it hurt him to see you like this—and as much as it pains me to say it, I'm almost glad that my eyesight is gone. To see you like this… Naoto… What happened to you? Why are you doing this to yourself!?"

"That is something we'd like to know as well."

Two heads snapped up in the direction of the door, one blinking slowly as they processed the voices he heard. Souji felt Naoto stiffen in his lap and by reflex he wrapped his arms around her waist again, not wanting the detective to dart away.

"H-how long have you two been there?"

"Long enough, Naoto-sama…" The voice was soft and sad, but didn't hold nearly as much sorrow as the next one.

"Nao-chan… What has happened that lead you to treat yourself in this manner? Kujikawa-san was kind enough to keep me posted on Seta-san's condition as well as your own… But never did I imagine that it was this bad. I thought that after Seta-san awakened you might start to return to your normal self… But I can see now that leaving that as it was… was a huge mistake on my part and I doubt I'll ever forgive myself for that course of action. I should have seen to it that I personally kept an eye on you… Perhaps I just didn't want to believe that—No, I have no excuses for this…"

Naoto winced, pressing her back against Souji's chest as she pulled her cap down, trying to avoid three pairs of eyes that seemed to follow even the slightest twitch of her fingers.

"I…" Naoto choked, bowing her head. What excuse did she have? What excuse could she use? _Because this—Souji-kun's condition… It's my fault. That accident… It's because I didn't built the watch strong enough. He got hurt… because it fell off. All because of me. This is my punishment… _

"Naoto," Souji raised his hand, gently trailing it along the detective's arm until he found her shoulder, continuing up to her face where he cupped her cheek. "Naoto… my precious Naoto… Please, I ask—No, I beg of you… please tell me what happened. What are you doing to yourself?" _Is it because I left? Because we weren't able to talk as much as we used to? Did someone hurt you and you're not telling me to keep me from worrying?_

"I…" The sleuth shook her head rapidly, unable to form the right words. _I can't… It would sound as if I were blaming him. I can't tell him—them, the truth. I…_

"I believe I can answer that question, Seta-san."

The occupants of the room jumped slightly, none of them having heard the door open or someone new enter the room.

"Ikeda-san?" Souji called hesitantly, recognizing the voice of the nurse who'd been his care-taker for the past weeks.

"Indeed it is, Seta-san. You're getting much quicker at recognizing voices—but if I may… I believe I can give you the answer to the questions you're asking… As it seems that Shirogane-san," Ikeda paused, blinking, "meaning Naoto," she nodded politely to Misanori, "does not wish to speak honestly for fear of hurting you, Seta-san."

Souji felt Naoto go ridgid and wince in his arms, causing him to raise an eyebrow and turn his head towards his nurse's voice.

"Ikeda-san?"

"I understand this will be hard to comprehend, Seta-san—please do not assume that the blame is being placed over your own shoulders. It is not. But Shirogane-san's condition… Is because of you."

"W-what?" Souji's eyes widened as he turned back towards Naoto, his unseeing silver eyes meeting Naoto's apologetic and guilty ones, the silence of the room pressing in upon the silverette more painfully then the days he'd come home to an empty house several years ago.

_Naoto's condition is… because of me?_


	8. Chapter 5

I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated last. I've been busy with finals and working on various projects. As you all know, several one-shots have been completed for the 100-themes challenge lately and I have two more on the way, as well as a collab that I am working on with Fiyerna.

Ah, thinking about it... Fiyerna helped me a great deal with Misanori's story in this chapter and it is because of him that I was able to update today, so be sure to leave him thanks, hm?

I will be uploading chapter six in a few minutes and I hope that you all enjoy this... It's hard to think that the story is almost over.

**

* * *

Chapter Five**

The room had fallen into complete silence. Two pairs of worried eyes lingered on Naoto, whose gaze was focused on the floor. She nibbled absently on her bottom lip, trying to stop the trembling that had started in her hands. Souji's eyes were locked with Ikeda's, filled with guilt, fear, concern, and many other emotions the nurse couldn't quite name. How the boy was able to look directly at her without being able to see her, the nurse could only guess, but his gaze felt just as strong as anyone with perfect vision.

With a soft sigh, Ikeda dropped her chart on the table loudly, startling everyone in the room and successfully gaining their attention.

"I do wish I could say this kindly, Seta-san. I want to be able to tell you that there is another reason for this. That Shirogane-san had an illness or something close to the fact, however… While I _did_ say that this is because of you, Seta-san, her condition itself is not your fault—not unless you intentionally let yourself be hit by that car."

Souji remained silent, looking in the direction that he heard the clipboard drop, unable to meet the nurse's gaze. Naoto shifted in his lap again, and his hands were pulled away from her waist as she stood up. He reached for her hand, drawing back when she shook her head. Yakushiji stepped forward quickly, pulling a chair from the wall up beside Souji's. The sleuth nodded silently in gratitude and sat down, clasping her hands together tightly in her lap, before returning her gaze to the floor.

Misanori, who'd been standing by the door, shifted, slowly moving further into the room to sit on the edge of the bed. His pale-blue eyes moved from Ikeda, to Souji, and finally to Naoto, who winced. She didn't need to look up to know who was staring at her; the only gaze stronger then Souji's sightless one was her grandfather's. He shook his head sadly, and shut his eyes, letting out a long, slow breath before he finally spoke.

"Ikeda-san, I believe I can explain what is happening here. If you'll allow me to speak with them privately… this is a family matter as well."

"Of course," Ikeda nodded. "I'll return before dinner to check on Seta-san." With a polite bow, Ikeda left the room quickly, glancing once at Souji over her shoulder before shutting the door.

"…Grampa?" Naoto finally spoke quietly, looking at the elder Shirogane with a questioning gaze. "A 'family matter'? What… do you mean? I understand that I am your granddaughter, but I'm fine. There is no need to—"

"Naoto Shirogane, I ask that you be silent!"

Naoto jumped, her eyes widening as she felt Souji shift uncomfortably next to her. Neither of them had ever heard Misanori raise his voice before—let alone sound anything close to angry. Yet it wasn't _anger _that had been in the elder Shirogane's tone, it was closer to that of _fear. _Yakushiji had moved over to the bed, standing next to the other silently, a comforting hand on his shoulder, as if knowing that was coming.

"Shiro—Misanori-san?" Souji spoke hesitantly, wincing at his small slip. Countless times the old man had asked Souji to use his first name—as he was quite sure they'd 'legally' be a family soon—and he'd yet to pick up the habit.

"…I apologize," Misanori sighed softly, raising a hand to meet Yakushiji's briefly, a silent gesture to assure the secretary he was alright. "I shouldn't have shouted at you, Naoto, but I wish to speak with both you and Seta-san on a serious level. The situation and troubles you two are facing… it is not the first time I have seen such events happen. The previous time I was powerless to change anything, and I will be damned if I allow my family to slip through my fingers again because I didn't take action before it was too late."

Naoto opened her mouth to speak, wanting to know what exactly had been 'too late', but her lips closed before the words could form. She leaned back in her chair silently, glancing at Souji before returning her gaze to her grandfather, meeting his eyes with her own in a silent gesture urging him to continue.

"…You once asked me how your grandmother died. I told you that I would tell you when I felt you were ready to know, and to this day I have withheld the information. I did not feel you needed the stress that it would place on your shoulders, because I knew you would attempt to take some of the blame in an attempt to ease my own . However, I must make you understand that neither her situation, nor Seta-san's are by any means your fault.

"I must take this time to point out that Seta-san had always worn a watch before the day you gave him one, and it could have just as easily been the watch that he owned previously that fell off. I need you to remember that before I start this story. I believe it is safe to say that no one who has entered this room or knows of Seta-san's situation blames you for what has happened, and nor would Seta-san even begin to imagine accusing you of doing this to him." Misanori paused to chuckle weakly, "And if I am not mistaken, Seta-san is working quite hard to fight the urge to say something to back my words, if the look on his face is anything to go by."

Naoto glanced at Souji, taking in the pained look of restraint on the silverette's face. He coughed awkwardly, feeling the sleuth's gaze as he quickly averted his attention back in the direction of Misanori's voice.

"I am quite certain you have many theories regarding the circumstances surrounding your grandmother's passing, Naoto, the most obvious of which would be the link between her death and the deaths of your parents. They, too, were victims of a tragic accident, as you are well aware. In an odd twist of fate, our son and his wife were out on an errand for your grandmother which involved the retrieval of her watch from the repair shop. They had just finished investigating a case and had wrapped everything up quite neatly, so their high spirits allowed them a fair amount of generosity. But as fate would have it, not everything went according to their expectations."

Misanori sighed as he removed his glasses, withdrawing a handkerchief from his back pocket and proceeding to clean the lenses. His eyes appeared distant as he slowly pushed the glasses back onto his face and the painful memories flooded back into his mind. Souji could hear the pain in his voice and, for the first time, Misanori Shirogane seemed like a frail old man than one of Japan's foremost investigators.

"The murderer was, in fact, caught and punished according to the law, as justice demands," continued Misanori calmly. "However, your grandmother never forgave herself for the entire affair. She felt largely responsible for your parents' murders, as only a mother can. You've no conceivable idea what it feels like for a parent to outlive their children, Naoto. Of course, I did all that I could to talk her into coping with the pain and moving on with her life, particularly because you were still a toddler and required a devoted maternal figure.

"Yet she fell deeper into depression and despair in spite of it. She would not eat, and she obtained very little sleep at all. There would be times when I would wake up alone in bed and find her staring out the window toward the driveway, as though expecting your father and mother to come home any minute..."

The elder Shirogane closed his eyes, and his hands ceased polishing his spectacles as he released a shuddering sigh. "Your grandmother died two weeks after your parents... from malnutrition and self-neglect. Until the very end, she swore that it was her penance for sending our son and his wife, your father and mother, to die before their time, even though she was absolutely blameless.

"However, the memories, and the lesson, have never left my mind. I cared too much to put my foot down and force her to reevaluate herself, and the way she handled the tragedy. I cared too much many months ago when I merely stood and watched you begin wasting away, just like your grandmother did, hoping you would find the strength within yourself to exercise the necessary self-control. But I shall no longer stand idly by and watch you destroy yourself; because you are not the only one who will suffer should the worst case scenario come to pass. For the sake your friends, your family, and for the man you claim to love with all of your heart and soul, I demand... no, I _beg_ of you--"

"G-Grampa?!" Naoto's eyes widened in total shock as she watched her grandfather, the man whom she admired and respected beyond all others, kneel in front of her, his worn hands clasping her thin, cold fingers as he looked into her silver-blue eyes with as much emotion as he could muster.

"Naoto... Nao-chan... Please stop doing this to yourself." Misanori's voice cracked as he fought back tears. "I cannot lose you, too. Don't make me watch another person I love die right in front of me... I _need _you."

"Grampa…" Naoto's own voice cracked as she choked on her words. Something stung in the corner of her eyes but she ignored it, not caring if tears fell or not.

Fingers brushed against her cheeks, just under her eyes. She turned, blinking as the familiar feeling of Souji's hand wiped away the few stray tears that had fallen without her notice. "Souji-san…" _Grampa… I had no idea that my actions were giving you such a large amount of grief... And Souji… Despite your condition and lost abilities, it's still __**me**__ that you continue to worry about. You both…_

The sharp ring of a cell-phone filled the room, cutting off Naoto's thoughts. Misanori produced a phone from his pocket, giving the screen a weary glance before opening it and answering. The grave look in his eyes darkened as he listened to the speaker, a sorrowful look falling across his features.

"I don't think that I'll be able… Yes, I realize that you need assistance, but… Isn't there any other agency that you can employ? Surely I cannot be the only one that… No, I quite understand, but my—"

"Grampa…" Naoto spoke softly; gripping the hand still wrapped loosely around one of her own tightly. "It's alright… You should go."

Misanori began to shake his head, looking uncomfortable.

"I'll be alright, Grampa. I… I understand and have realized how foolish I allowed my actions to become and I know that I need to fix them. I have Senpai here, as well as a large nursing staff and friends. All of which I'm sure who are willing to help me. Please do not neglect your job on my account. I don't want you to put on hold because of me, I-"

"Misanori-san, if I might interrupt…" Yakushiji spoke from the bed, talking over to stand beside the elder Shirogane. "Normally I go with you on the bulk of your travels, but should it give you comfort, I will remain here with Naoto-sama. I can see to it that she follows the road of recovery in your absence and give you a full report each night—that is alright with you, isn't it, Naoto-sama?"

Naoto looked up at the secretary and nodded, then smiled gently at her grandfather as she spoke. "I can assure you that I will be alright. I have many arms to fall into should I stumble and I know yours are there as well… But I ask that you please go and help them. I want no poor rumors started in the Shirogane name because I was a fool. So please, Grampa, take the case."

The old man stared at Naoto silently, his eyes calculating and concerned. His gaze shifted to Souji before finally falling on Yakushiji, the corners of his mouth twitching faintly. He sighed softly and nodded slowly; taking the hand Yakushiji offered him to stand up and placed the phone back to his ear, talking quickly and quietly to the person on the other end. After hanging up, be pocketed the phone and bent over, pulling the young sleuth into a gentle embrace.

"The case will be just over a week, Nao-chan. I promise to return as soon as I can… but in return, please promise me you will do all that these kind people ask to help yourself."

Naoto nodded slowly, returning her Grampa's embrace. "I promise, Grampa. I can never properly apologize for what I've done these past few months… but I will do all in my power to make it up to you and everyone else who has worried for me."

Misanori nodded and pulled away, offering the detective a warm smile. "I know you will, Naoto-chan."

He turned, facing Souji as he reached out and—much to the surprise of everyone in the room—hugged him as well, pulling away slowly leaving Souji with a faint flush of embarrassment. "I wish you a full recovery as well, Seta-san. I know I am leaving Nao-chan in capable hands. Between yourself and Yakushiji, I have full confidence that Nao-chan will be alright."

"Thank you… Good luck on your case, and a safe journey to you, Sir." Souji said politely smiling as he looked up at where he hoped the elderly man's face was.

"I will see you two again soon…" Swooping down to hug Naoto once more, the Misanori hesitated before sighing softly and shaking his head, pushing away the doubt that plagued his mind.

He turned and hurried towards the door, producing his phone once more as he opened it and began flipping through saved contacts.

"Ah… Misanori-san, I will organize your traveling arrangements. Allow me to return to the estate with you temporarily. You simply need to worry about packing. I can be back at the hospital by…" The secretary's voice faded as he followed the elder Shirogane out the door, letting it swing shut behind him.

Silence passed between the two young adults left in the room before Souji spoke, turning his wheelchair around to face Naoto fully.

"Naoto, I…"

"Don't… I know what you're going to say. It's alright. No apologies… no attempts at taking the blame. You are not at fault for what I have done, just as I was not at fault for what happened to you. From this point forward, if we wish to atone for whatever guilt we may be needlessly feeling… Let us simply work on recovering."

Souji nodded and rolled forward slowly, holding out a hand and waiting patiently for Naoto's. The sleuth smiled and intertwined their fingers together, slipping forward into his lap before he could pull her himself. Her head laid lazily against his shoulder as her free hand absently played with the cloth of his hospital scrubs.

"…It won't be an easy road, will it?"

"Probably not, it'll take a long time, for both of us."

Naoto chuckled. "It's too bad we can't simply use a Persona to heal this problem, hm?"

Souji nodded, smiling faintly. "We wouldn't learn anything that way though, would we?"

"Mm… You are most likely correct. Still, I'm sure that if we were able to face and overcome half the things we did when you came to Inaba… I'm sure that we'll be able to face this as well."

"Without a doubt," Souji's smile grew. "Everything… will be just fine."


	9. Chapter 6

As promised, here is chapter six. I'm sorry to say that, after this chapter, there will only be one more. I greatly enjoyed writing this, but Downward Spiral is finally coming to a close. ToastedWhiskers was kind enough to BETA both this chapter and the previous one, so be sure to leave her thanks as well.

I've had the notes for this chapter for a while now, but I haven't gotten around to writing it, and I am sorry for that. Happily, I finally got around to it (obviously) and I apologize for the gap between the two chapters. I am uploading this from my laptop during anime club and we're watching -man... so I kept getting distracted by the screen (...haha...).

Regardless, enjoy the second to last chapter and I apologize for the poor author's notes for these two chapters. Again, I blame -man.

**

* * *

Chapter Six**

"Souji-san, are you ready to switch to the wheelchair? Dojima-san and Nanako-chan will be here any moment. We should go downstairs and wait for them."

"I'm fine, Naoto…" Souji muttered from the bed, "Really. I _can_ walk… I just can't _see_ where I'm walking. That's why I applied to get a dog—so I don't have to depend on someone pushing a wheelchair for the rest of my life."

"Alright…" Naoto's voice sounded faintly skeptical, but amused none-the-less. "Here, take my hand, I'll help you out of the bed so you don't trip again."

"I didn't trip!" Souji protested, blushing. "The scrub pants were just too long and I got tangled. That's all…"

Naoto snorted, "Yes, _tangled._ Whatever allows you to sleep better at night, Senpai."

"You're cruel…" Souji said, sporting a fake pout.

"Perhaps I've simply been spending too much time with Rise-san." The sleuth stepped forward and took both of Souji's hands in her own, leading him to the edge of the bed.

"Maybe… I didn't think she'd be able to make that much of an impact on you, though." Souji paused, grinning as he knew Naoto was most likely giving him the look he had dubbed 'that look'. "How was breakfast? She stopped by on her way to another audition, didn't she?"

Naoto nodded, knowing Souji could sense the movement of her head. "Yes, we went to the small restaurant across the street. It's a comfortable little diner and the food is quite good, despite it's questionable appearance and fat content."

"…Questionable?"

"I'm joking…" Naoto chuckled softly, "I simply meant that it served the classical 'greasy food' that most diners are well known for in this area. It isn't something that I would allow myself to eat every day, but I wouldn't mind eating in such an establishment again sometime."

"Maybe we could during one of my check-up visits."

"I wouldn't mind… Here, I'm going to pull your forward now so…"

The door behind them swung open with a loud _**bang**_. Naoto wheeled around, eyes wide as she stared at the doorway. Behind her, Souji yelped loudly as he lost his balance and toppled forward, sending both himself and Naoto onto the cold hospital floor.

Naoto lay falling in a spread-eagle position, while Souji managed to catch himself, his hands on either side if Naoto and his knees between her legs. It was obvious he had no clue that he'd just landed above her if the daze look on his face was anything to go by.

"Oops, sorry! I didn't mean to um…" The soft, childish voice of Nanako filled the room as the young girl stared at the questionable position the two had landed in. "Um… S-sorry, Naoto-san, Big bro. D-did I—"

"What on _earth_ is going on in here!?"

"D-dad!" Naoto squeaked as Dojima walked into the room, her eyes wide. "U-um! W-wait! It's not their fault… I, um…"

"You two never came downstairs, so we came up to get you… but just what the hell is this!?"

"…Uncle Dojima?" Souji called, confused. "I… tripped. I'm sorry… I, ah… Naoto? Where are you? Could you help me up?"

"Um…" Naoto shifted uncomfortably under Souji, unable to form the words 'You're on _me,_' properly. "S-Senpai…."

Souji froze, his head snapping downward as he lifted one of his hands, slowly and cautiously, feeling around for the figure he now knew was below him… when his hand hit something soft and he instantly frowned, having no idea what he'd just done.

A fist connected with his jaw as Naoto, by reflex, threw her balled hand forward, squeaking loudly. Souji was thrown backward, a loud yelp of pain escaping his lips, followed by a second as his head connected with the bed-frame. In the doorway, Dojima started laughing; having pieced together the situation once Nanako had managed to calm him down.

The silverette whimpered in pain as the two females rushed to his side, both apologizing profusely for their actions and asking if he was alright.

"F-fine…" Souji finally managed to choke out. "Just fine… Never better. Can, um… s-someone please help me up now?"

Two firm hands grabbed him under the arms and Souji suddenly found himself on his feet, dazed from the sudden movement. "T-thanks, Uncle…"

"Ahahaha… N-no problem." Amusement still danced in Dojima's tone, "You're a lucky man, Souji. Most males would have gotten Shriogane's revolver after a pass like that."

"D-Dojima-san!"

"A pass like… huh? I don't understand, what did I—" Souji suddenly stopped, his face going pale before he blushed a bright crimson. "O-oh my… Naoto! I'm so—"

"It's alright, Souji-san… Calm down. It was an accident. I apologize for striking you like that. I should have exercised more self control. Is… your jaw alright?"

"It's fine, I—well, at least we know you're getting your strength back, huh? That was… a good punch."

Naoto blushed in embarrassment, glaring heated at Souji before turning for the door. "A-anyway. We should get going… We need to check you out."

Souji laughed and nodded, slowly feeling his way around the room until he found Naoto and took her hand. The smile he offered her instantly melted the irked glare as he said, "So, let's go home…"

* * *

"Be careful of the tables, Souji." Naoto said as she weaved her way through the food court at Junes. "There's one in front of you and another to your left. Our table is just…"

"I know, don't worry." Souji chuckled softly as he maneuvered his way around the tables flawlessly and sat down next to Naoto, smiling in self-satisfaction. "We used to come here so often… it's one of the few paths I'll never forget, sight or no sight."

"You're doing very well… I'm impressed, Senpai. I suppose being back in a familiar area helps you in navigating around."

"Impressed?" Souji smirked. "Did it really take a whole month back in Inaba without me managing to kill myself to get you impressed? You're a hard shell to crack, Naoto."

"Senpai!" Naoto scolded, her eyes amused but her tone irked as she used the old title she'd gradually grown out of using back at the hospital. "You're horrible! I must remember not to allow you to spend so much time with Yosuke-san and Kanji-kun."

"Come on Naoto, be fair."

The sleuth quirked an eyebrow.

"Some of it's Dojima too."

"…Fine then, shall we simply lock you in a box?"

"That depends… Are you in the box with me?"

Naoto fought the urge to roll her eyes and bent forward, hitting Souji's noise lightly in a manner that was both affectionate and annoyed.

"Senpai, do be quite. You're starting to sound like Teddie."

"I'm sure he'd love to hear that."

"Heeeeeeeeey! There they are! Senpaiiiiii! Naoto-kuuuun!"

Both heads turned as they heard the familiar voice of Rise. The pig-tailed girl ran toward, them, smiling and grinning as she waved. Behind her, Kanji followed quickly carrying what appeared to be two Junes shopping bags that were obviously Rise's. Yosuke and Chie followed after him, both grinning at their seated friends and waving with their free hands, while the other was clasped tightly together with its partners. Teddie and Nanako followed soon after them, smiling and laughing as they played a sort of half-tag with one another on their way to the table.

"Everyone's here…" Naoto muttered, as she and Souji stood up to greet their friends.

"Just like old times…"

* * *

The soft glow of the setting sun shone down over Inaba, giving the rustic down a beautiful orange glow. Souji's silver eyes gazed off into the distance absently, while Naoto's intently took in the scene before her, a content smile on her face. She leaned against Souji, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist with her head curled under his chin. They had been standing there for nearly two hours, but her legs weren't tired in the slightest and she was too comfortable to move.

"…Naoto?" Souji spoke, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Hm?"

"Happy Birthday…"

Naoto smiled softly and shifted closer to Souji, tilting her head upward.

"It's been so long since we were last up here alone…" she muttered softly, her tone both sorrowful and happy at the same time. "I… really wish you could see it with me."

"I can always imagine it… Tell me what it looks like. I've always had a good mind for painting a picture.

"Well…" Naoto began, pulling away from Souji as she leaned over the railing, carefully taking in the scene before her. "Everything is covered in a beautiful glow, it…" And she launched into an explanation, carefully voicing even the smallest details as Souji listened with a soft smile, nodding every few seconds as he shut his eyes and carefully pieced together the image in his mind, taking care to add himself and Naoto standing hand in hand of the center of it all.


	10. Chapter 7Final

_**Before I begin this chapter, I must take the time to write a small note to all my readers, and I do hope that all of you take the time to read this…**_

First off, I thank everyone who has followed this story through to the end, and I apologize for my less-than consistent updates. I know I should have uploaded new chapters faster, but it seems that school managed to get in the way countless times… Still, I'm very pleased I managed to make it to the end.

Second, I want to thank my wonderful BETA, _ToastedWhiskers (AKA-Chie)_. She, at one point or another, BETA'd this entire story, and I'm forever grateful to her for it. Despite my constant (and somewhat cruel) jokes at her being unable to BETA anything of mine without managing to hit the "euro" key on by bizarre laptop keyboard, she still stuck with me and read through anything I showed her with enthusiasm. Chie was kind when I made mistakes and when I was able to look over her shoulder, she pointed them out to be (be it casually or in the form of a joke.) I doubt I ever would have posted any of the story had she not BETA'd it for me and assured me the content was good…

So thank you, Chie, for everything. You're truly wonderful.

Third, a thank you to _Fiyerna_, who, like ToastedWhisters, BETA'd most of this story. Had it not been for him, I would still be stuck somewhere around chapter three. He would always set time aside to speak with me when I was stuck and help me word out the ideas I wished to use. There were countless times when I couldn't write something properly and he would write it out himself to help inspire me, and there are several times in this story where 3-5 of the paragraphs are completely his writing that he was wonderful enough to give me permission to use when I would seek his help. He, like Chie, would constantly assure me that what I was writing wasn't 'crap' and pushed me to stick with it. He has been a HUGE help to me… and I assure everyone he IS working on Five Years Later. So be sure to encourage him with kind PMs.

Forth, a special thank you to Ami (who you may know as _aminec_ on DeviantART)

You are a very kind person. I've had the pleasure of talking to you on MSN and you always speak so highly of my so-called "ability" to write. At one point, you even went so far as to give me something of a present after I uploaded several stories of my 100-themes challenge and, as I told you on DA, the picture was adorable. Thank you for following my stories and I hope I'm able to continue writing things you will enjoy.

Ah, and I also recommend that ALL of you reading this go look at her DA page when you finish reading, the art there is one-of-a-kind.

And a last thank you to two of the greatest reviewers I've ever had…

_**ShiroganeRinKun…**_You are one of the sweetest readers I've ever had. Your reviews always leave me smiling and giving me an extra bit of confidence when I write, knowing that you (and others) enjoy it enough to keep coming back. You've reviewed to me so many times; I often look for your username when I post something because I know its coming. Thank you so much for all your kind reviews that have left me feeling like something of an idol.

_**Darkforce222… **_I'm fairly sure you've reviewed to every Persona story I've ever written, as well as most—if not all—the chapters of _this_ story. Your reviews always seem well-thought out and hold nice meaning. Your reviews always left me with something to think about and I greatly enjoyed your commenting on different parts of the story and giving an honest opinion of them. I thank you for your reviews and I hope you honor me with one more review for this story and I pray I'm able to get them from you in the future with the other things I write.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

The sun had set long ago, leaving only the stars and the moon for lighting on the small gazebo atop the hill that overlooked Inaba. They sat silently, pressed closely together on the bench of the picnic table under the small wooden roof, enjoying the soft sounds that nature provided around them. They had exchanged few words over the past few hours, not wanting to disturb the fairy-tale like atmosphere that had fallen over the area.

Naoto shifted slowly, pulling her arm from between herself and Souji, pressing a button on her wristwatch and reading the numbers that glowed bright neon-green. A small frown graced her lips as she read the numbers again, sighing in disappointment as she realized they would have to move.

"…Souji?" Naoto called softly, tilting her head upward, using her hand to move the silverette's gaze downward, meeting his sightless eyes with her own.

"Hm?"

"It's getting late… It'll be midnight soon. We should…Souji?"

Souji smiled softly to himself as he suddenly, surprising Naoto with the strength and volume of his voice so late at night. "Is this a routine check-up, or a personal call?"

Naoto raised an eyebrow in confusion, before she noticed someone standing behind them out of the corner of her eye. Spinning around in her seat, the tension that had risen in her shoulders died as she recognized the owner of the voice.

"Oh! Good evening, Ikeda-san."

Ikeda chuckled softly as she gave the two of them a polite bow in greeting. "A little of both, Seta-san—and good evening, Shirogane-san. I do hope I'm not intruding on a private moment?"

Souji laughed as he felt the sleuth shift next to him in embarrassment, his arm tightening softly around Naoto's waist, earning an unseen blush. "Not at all. What may we do for you?"

"Actually," Ikeda stepped forward, stopping just short of the gazebo. "I came in hopes of doing something for the two of you."

"For us…?" Souji asked, his head tilting in question. "You've already done so much; I doubt there is anything left that you haven't done for us already."

"Oh…" the nurse smiled faintly, "There is one thing left that I have yet to do. If you two would be so kind as to step out here into the moonlight, I would like to give you two one final gift."

"A gift, Ikeda-san?" Naoto asked, pulling herself from Souji's grip and standing up, before carefully assisting Souji in moving away from the bench. "I'm afraid I don't understand… I—do you have any idea what time it is?"

Ikeda nodded. "I believe it is just a few minutes short of midnight."

"Surely you're tired from your trip here…" Souji began, sounding concerned. "If we ask my Uncle I'm willing to bet that he will—"

"There is no need for that, Seta-san… I haven't much time left before I must go. I want to give this to you before I have to leave for the final time."

"The final…? Are you being transferred, Ikeda-san?" Naoto asked, sounding concerned. "Did something happen? If you are in need of assistance we'd both be happy to…"

Ikeda held up a hand, causing the sleuth's words to fade out, the gentle smile growing across the nurse's lips once more.

"Please, I ask that you allow me to do this quickly. If you'll allow me just a few minutes…"

Souji and Naoto nodded silently, the faint sound of a clock going off in the distance, signaling the stroke of midnight.

Ikeda jumped, as if the chimes of the bell were a death toll. Naoto frowned at the nurse's sudden nervousness as a thought struck her. _How… did she know where to find us? No one knew that we'd come here…_

"Seta-san…" Ikeda began as she stepped forward, smiling fondly at the silverette as a proud mother might look upon her own son. "You've done so much for both myself and so many others… I was never able to find a means of being able to repay you until now. I sincerely hope that this final gift from me to you… might start to atone for all I put you through."

"Ikeda-san…? I don't understand. What do you mea—" His words stopped abruptly as Ikeda's gentle hand brushed over his cheek, a sudden wave of familiar warmth washing through him. The feeling disappeared as soon as it had come as the hand was pulled away and Souji felt Ikeda step to the side.

Naoto watched in confusion as the nurse moved closer to her, taking one of the sleuth's hands delicately in her own, the soft smile growing faintly as their hands moved up and down in a slow handshake.

"Shirogne-san… please, if you will…" Ikeda leaned forward, muttering something softly into Naoto's ear.

As she stepped back, the sleuth gave her a questioning look, but Ikeda simply pressed a finger over her lips and gestured to Souji.

"Hurry, Shirogane-san. There isn't much time."

In the distance, the tenth stroke of midnight echoed loudly as Naoto quietly asked Souji to turn and face her. The silverette listened without question, raising an eyebrow slowly as the detective pressed a hand over his eyes gently, leaving her palm pressed against his eyelids.

The warm feeling from before returned almost instantly and a faint tingling sensation ran up and down his spine. He blinked behind Naoto's hand, frowning as he felt his eyes burn in irritation at the closeness of skin. He raised a hand and pulled the detective's hand away, blinking rapidly as he stared down at her.

"Naoto, what are you…" he trailed off, blinking again, his eyes widening in shock as he turned sharply.

"You-! It _was_ you…"

Naoto turned as well, confused by Souji's sudden bizarre actions, feeling her own eyes widening in astonishment. Where Ikeda had once stood, a faded, almost transparent figure with shoulder length silver hair in the same shade as Souji's stood, smiling at them both. Her deep crimson eyes sparkled softly in the moonlight, the white fabric of her ground length cloak billowing faintly in the wind.

"Wh-what!? But you…" Naoto sputtered, unable to piece together the words properly. "How…"

"My last gift to you… Children of man," the faint, but strong feminine voice spoke, her words echoing in the surrounding area. "I wish the best to you both, and I pray my small efforts were enough to begin to make up for all I did."

Souji smiled and nodded slowly, his silver eyes sparkling in delight. "That and so much more… Izanami. Thank you…"

Izanami chuckled softly, her body no longer visible to either of the pair. Her voice was beginning to fade as quickly as her body. "I'm sure we'll meet each other again, in the afterlife… After all, you hold something very dear to me, Seta-san. I do hope to see the four of you again soon."

"…The four of us?" Naoto asked as the goddesses voice faded and died, turning to look at Souji. "Who…?"

"You, me, Izanagi… and I assume Yamato-Takeru."

"But… Why did she…? I mean… How is it possible that she was able—no, that isn't important right now. What did she do?"

Souji's smile widened as he reached out, cupping Naoto's cheek gently, joy dancing in his silver orbs like fire.

"Naoto…"

"…Souji?"

"You've grown so much since I left Inaba…"

"I—what? Senpai, but you…" Naoto trailed off, gaping at Souji. "Y-you can-!"

"Naoto… You look beautiful in the moonlight. I've never had the chance to tell you that."

Naoto could only stare at Souji as his eyes met her with ease, the warm sparkle of love that he used to look at her with back in them. Something caught in her throat as she tried to speak, the corners of her eyes burning as several tears pushed past her defenses, causing Souji jump faintly in shock.

"Wh… N-Naoto? Are you alri-ahh!"

Naoto jerked forward, a mix of ecstatic squeals and laughter escaping her lips as she threw her arms around Souji's neck, sending them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. She pressed her face against the silverette's shoulder as she sobbed happily, unable to contain the excitement, joy, and relief for the situation any longer.

"Y-you can see again…" she sputtered and stumbled over her words. "Y-you can… can…"

Souji laughed, his own joy mirroring Naoto's as he lifted her face to gaze into her silver-blue eyes. He leaned forward, kissing the shimmering trail of tears that ran down her cheeks. Naoto hiccupped softly as she nuzzled forward, pressing her lips against the silverette's, shivering slightly with the continuous joy that flooded her entire being.

Their eyes never broke apart as she pulled away slowly, staring at each other silently before either managed to speak, their voices quivering with ecstasy as the same words escaped both pairs of lips in unison.

"…Will you marry me?"

_Owari_

* * *

And that… is the end. It was a long journey to get here, but I'm able to say I'm proud of how everything ended up. I thank you all again for following me all this time and all the reviews that I've been left since this story started. You've all be so wonderful and patient with me, and I truly hope that my ending was able to live up to the expectations that I managed to build with all of you.

Thank you once more… and I hope that you all join me again as I continue to write more stories for all of you.

As a special note, I ask that you all check my profile and read the top. There is a special message there for all my readers.


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